Houston’s Reed Sheppard played his first Summer League game on Friday night.
He was so outstanding that it might be his only Summer League game.
Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in June’s draft from Kentucky, showed why he was highly rated by scoring 23 points and making four out of six three-pointers against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Impressive Debut:
In addition to his shooting skills, Sheppard showcased his versatility with five assists, four rebounds, and three blocks. One of those blocks came against the 7-foot-2 center Moses Brown . Fans might think he’s already too good for this league.
“HE WAS DEEP IN HIS BAG LIKE THE FRIES WERE AT THE BOTTOM,” Mark Jones exclaimed during one of Sheppard’s highlight plays where he put Lakers’ first-round pick Dalton Knecht in a blender on a third-quarter drive.
No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard was PHENOMENAL in his #NBA2KSummerLeague debut leading the @HoustonRockets to victory! 🚀
🚀 23 PTS
🚀 5 AST
🚀 4 REB
🚀 3 BLK
🚀 4 3PM— NBA (@NBA)
Sheppard’s defensive prowess also caught attention when he blocked Brown’s shot before it even got past Brown’s shoulders. Fred VanVleet would approve!
Reed Sheppard blocks a Moses Brown shot. Brown is 7-2. (Sheppard got the ball before it got past Brown's shoulders. Fred VanVleet would approve.)
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen)
It was an all-around impressive performance from the 20-year-old. Some believe Houston might keep him out of further Summer League games to avoid injury risks.
Reed Sheppard is making one of the earliest “Too Good for Summer League” cases I’ve seen in a while. Goodness.
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie)
Las Vegas may have seen the last of Sheppard this July, but Houston fans will see much more of him soon.
What do you think about Sheppard’s performance?
