Former Kentucky star Reed Sheppard put on a show in his Summer League debut for the Houston Rockets, scoring 23 points in a blowout win over Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Sheppard, the No. 3 pick from this year’s draft, knocked down four attempts from beyond the arc. He also had five assists, four rebounds, three blocks and a steal for the Rockets.
During Friday night’s game, several NBA analysts and fans praised Sheppard for his performance. Some are even wondering if he’s “too good” for the Summer League.
Sam Vecenie wrote “Reed Sheppard is making one of the earliest ‘Too Good for Summer League’ cases I’ve seen in a while. Goodness.”
Kelly Iko said, “Reed Sheppard. The shooting is as advertised. My goodness.”
“Reed Sheppard IS TOO GOOD FOR SUMMER LEAGUE,” The Field of 68 tweeted.
Check out some of Sheppard’s highlights:
Reed Sheppard IS TOO GOOD FOR SUMMER LEAGUE🔥😭
23 PTS
4 REB
5 AST
1 STL
3 BLK
9/17 FG
4/6 3P
64.3 TS
+ 21One of the best summer league debuts we have ever seen.😳⬇️
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) July 13, 2024
If Sheppard has another performance like this, Houston’s front office may have to consider pulling him from Las Vegas. His debut was seriously that impressive.
Of course, we don’t want to overreact to one game. We’ve seen plenty of busts have solid showings in the Summer League.
The Rockets will be back in action on Sunday against the Washington Wizards.
Related: Meet The Girlfriend Of Top NBA Draft Prospect Reed Sheppard