Reed Sheppard will make an ‘easy transition,’ says Houston Rockets GM Rafael Stone

Reed Sheppard has been the top rookie prospect since the start of the 2K25 Summer League tournament. He began his run in Las Vegas by scoring 23 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Over the previous three games, Sheppard has averaged 20.0 points while showing the potential to become a versatile player.

General manager Rafael Stone was impressed with Sheppard’s performance in Las Vegas. In an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio on Sunday, Stone showed his belief that Sheppard will be a future general manager in Houston.

“We saw enough to be confident that it would be an easy transition for him; whether it was an easy one-day transition or an easy six-month transition. We felt like the package was there for him to be a really good pick-and-roll player.” — Stone via SiriusXM NBA Radio.

While Sheppard has flashed star potential in his first three games, the 2024-25 season will be a year for the former Kentucky prospect to step back and learn.

He’ll have a chance to learn from veteran Fred VanVleet, who coach Garrett Jackson noticed while watching from the sidelines in Las Vegas.

“That type of instinct reminds me a little bit of Fred,” Jackson said. “Fred’s not the biggest player, but he’s very smart on defense, has quick hands and knows how to jump into passing lanes.

“Reed is very similar. Inside, he doesn’t have the biggest upside. He can get passed by a bigger guy. But on the perimeter, he’s got quick hands. If you play the ball down low, he’s going to take it away from you. He’s really smart, he jumps in passing lanes. I think he showed that tonight.”

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