2024 NBA draft: Analysts grade the Houston Rockets’ addition of Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard

Former Kentucky basketball star Reed Sheppard was chosen by the Houston Rockets with the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft on Wednesday night.

Here’s how NBA analysts graded the pick.

A — Danny Chou, The Ringer: “The Rockets get their guy. ... He was a statistical darling, shooting the 3 at an absolutely stupid clip while compiling defensive numbers that ought to be impossible for a player with unremarkable size and length. He is the best shooter in the class... For a team with so much athleticism at its disposal, getting a release valve from deep while also adding another smart playmaker is a no-brainer. ...”

A — Ricky O’Donnell, SBNation: “Sheppard can space the floor for Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun, and help players like Jalen Green, Tari Eason, and Cam Whitmore get out in transition. This is a great fit for the player and team.”

B+ — Kyle Irving, The Sporting News: “He’s a lights-out shooter who knocked down a jaw-dropping 52.1 percent of his 3s this past season. He’ll provide the Rockets’ bench with a blend of ball-handling, playmaking and on-ball defense. Learning from an undersized guard like VanVleet will only help his development, too.”

B+ — Zach Buckley, Bleacher Report: “Guards who played under former head coach John Calipari at Kentucky have often unveiled new layers to their game upon their arrival in the NBA. Reed Sheppard could be the next to pull that off. ... He is an all-caps SHOOTER first and foremost. ... His lack of size (6’2”, 182 lbs) is a worry defensively, but he at least won’t lose defensive battles due to a lack of effort or bad instincts. ... The Rockets were prime trade candidates in this spot, but there is plenty to like about Sheppard’s fit in Space City.“

B+ — Kevin Sweeney, Sports Illustrated: “The odds Sheppard would be the first college player off the board at this time last year would have been unthinkably long, but his special freshman season at Kentucky won over NBA executives in a hurry. Houston seems intent on pushing to compete sooner rather than later, and adding the best shooter in the draft in Sheppard fits that timeline well.“

B — Adam Finkelstein, CBS Sports: “Sheppard exceeded all expectations at Kentucky and became one of the most efficient freshmen in the country. ... At worst, he’s an extraordinary role player, but you’d hope for a higher ceiling at third overall. I worry about the extreme shooting being an outlier since he wasn’t as good in high school, and I worry about his size on defense. ... But I’ve been wrong about him before.”

B — Ayrton Ostly, USA Today: “Houston ranked 23rd in the league in three-point percentage and 25th in assists last season. Sheppard should immediately help in both ways within the backcourt rotation.”

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