Reed Sheppard Balancing Taking Chances on Defense

When the Houston Rockets surprisingly landed the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, the Rockets were looking for a specific type of player. They were coming off their best season since 2020, winning 41 games and narrowly missing the playoffs. Even with the improvement, the Rockets were still bottom-10 in three-point shooting and had struggled behind the arc for several years.

The Rockets were looking at several players with the fourth overall pick but Reed Sheppard stood out as the one player who would fit their immediate need for a outside shooter. Sheppard in his one season at Kentucky shot a nation best 52.1 percent from 3-point range as he averaged 12.5 points a game.

The SEC Freshman of the Year came from a long line of basketball players. His mom and dad both played and had outstanding careers at the University of Kentucky. Jeff Sheppard was the Most Outstanding Player ofthe 1998 tournament and played 18 games in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks. His mother, Stacy Reed, scored 1400 points in her Wildcat career.

So it came as no surprise that Reed Sheppard was selected fourth overall. However, it wasn't just the shooting that the Rockets saw in Sheppard. He was also one of the best players in the draft at playing the passing lanes and coming up with steals. Something that has continued in his young NBA career.

Reed Sheppard ability to play the passing lanes and block shots has stood out this season

Going all the way back to his high school days Sheppard has shown great ability to read defenses and anticipate passes but also great ability to block shots as a trailing defender or as weakside help. So far this season Sheppard has shown that he can also do it on a professional level.

Sheppard is averaging 1.6 steals per game, which has him ranked 10th in the NBA in that category. He also has 17 blocks this season, which is top ten amongst second-year players, not just guards, but the entire sophomore class. That was on full display in the Rockets' last win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, where Sheppard tied a career high in steals with five and added another block to his stat total.

Rockets on SI asked both Ime Udoka and Reed Sheppard after the game about his ability to anticipate passes on the defensive end but also learning to not put his team in a bad position. Udoka stated that Sheppard has always had that ability but also wants him to know when it is the right time to make that play and when it is better to be cautious.

Sheppard echoed the sentiments of his head coach.

Reed Sheppard had four steals in the first half in tonights win I asked Reed how he balances going for steals with out getting out of position.

“In highschool I kind of did it every play and could get away with it. It's definitely picking and choosing when the best time to do it… pic.twitter.com/RUkZBFFopZ
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) December 28, 2025

Sheppard is still learning how to be a better one on one defender which is something that comes with time as he gains more experience and gains the strength you need to compete at the highest level on the defensive end. The encouraging part is that Sheppard has improved in that area in his second season compared to his rookie year.

As Sheppard continues to improve overall on that side of the court one thing is for sure he already has some of the best instincts in the NBA and will only get better.