Heading into the NBA Draft it was pretty evident where former Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard would land. He was a consensus top-5 pick and likely wouldn't fall past three unless the Houston Rockets traded the pick.
They didn't and Sheppard landed in Houston at No. 3.
The Rockets are already a young team who seem to be slightly ahead of schedule, so bringing in another young player needed to make sense.
Sheppard quickly rose up draft boards throughout the college basketball season and during the pre-draft process. It's no surprise, however, as he was the SEC Freshman of the Year as well as earning numerous other Freshman of the Year honors around the country from numerous outlets. He did all that by only starting five games.
Coming off the bench, Sheppard put up 12.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 52.1 percent from three. While his shooting ability is what got him noticed, his all-around game is what made him a pro.
“I think just just coming out every game, doing whatever it takes to win," Sheppard said during his introductory press conference. "Being the guy that it doesn’t matter what, what coach needs, what the team needs, I’m gonna do it to the best of my ability. Come in every day and practice with the positive mindset on the whole season and just coming in and working really hard and just being that guy on the team that will do whatever it takes to win.”
It's clear the fit between Sheppard and the Rockets make sense. Let's break it down.