Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard has emerged as a favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award before playing a single regular-season minute at the professional level – with one former player likening him to WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark.
In a recent survey given to NBA General Managers, 50 percent of those interviewed said they expect Sheppard to be named the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year. Memphis Grizzlies’ Zach Edey and San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle were the second and third-highest vote-getters at 30 percent and 13 percent, respectively.
While competing in the Summer League in Las Vegas, Sheppard cemented himself as one of the brightest young stars in attendance. Over four appearances, he averaged 20 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game.
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But Sheppard struggled to find similar success in his preseason debut with the Rockets, shooting just 2-for-7 from the field and 0-for-4 from 3-point range against the Utah Jazz. The 20-year-old turned in a far better performance in Houston’s following game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, amassing 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal in 23 minutes played.
After showing several flashes of brilliance, Sheppard has received due praise from those across the league. Yahoo Sports insider Tom Haberstroh went so far as to compare him to one of the best players in the NBA, declaring on the ‘Kevin O’Connor Show’: “He’s not Steph Curry, but I think he is the closest thing to Steph Curry we’ve seen in a long time.”
Responding to Haberstroh’s bold take, ex-NBA player Rashad McCants compared Sheppard to one of the biggest stars in the WNBA. “I rocks wit Reed!!! Lil Caitlin lol,” he wrote on X.
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Caitlin Clark came one vote short of unanimously winning the WNBA Rookie of the Year award (
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Considering the immense success that Clark achieved in her first season with the Indiana Fever, the Rockets would be more than pleased if Sheppard lives up to McCants’ lofty nickname.
Earlier this month, Clark was officially crowned ROTY by the WNBA, receiving 66 of 67 first-place votes. She fell one vote short of unanimously winning the accolade, with the single outlier going to Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese.
Over 40 regular-season games with the Fever – all of which Clark started – she averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and a league-best 8.4 assists. The star guard finished the year with the most points, assists, and 3-pointers by a rookie in league history.
Even more impressive, Clark additionally set the single-game and single-season records for assists among all players with 19 and 337, respectively.
Similar to Clark, Sheppard has already displayed his lights-out shooting from behind the arc. While at the University of Kentucky, he averaged 52.1% field goal percentage from downtown while attempting over 4.4 threes per game.
Sheppard’s next chance to shine at the professional level will come on October 15 when the Rockets face off against the New Orleans Pelicans.
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