From parallel imports to the Rockets own Curry! Reed Shepard is playing!

Friends, Reed Shepard seems to be out.

is definitely not a theory. In the last four games, he averaged 16.3 points, 3 assists and 2.3 steals per game, shooting 65.8% from the field and 60.0% from the three-point range. With his solid performance, he broke the label of "parallel import prospect". Although, his rookie season was really good. 52 regular season games, 3 starts, averaging 12.6 minutes per game, only contributing 4.4 points, 1.4 assists, 1.5 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 0.3 blocks. But in the Development League, he can kill at will, averaging 30.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 2.7 steals per game. Regarding his development prospects, to be honest, I was not optimistic at first. After all, I have seen this type too often: shooters with insufficient physical ability.

Sheppard is a pitcher in NCAA history. As the prince of the University of Kentucky, he averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.7 blocks per game, shooting 53.6% from the field and 52.1% from the three-point range. Ku, who is incredibly accurate, had an outside shooting percentage of about 44% in his best season at Davidson College. But for a player like Shepard, who is 1.88 meters tall and has a wingspan of 1.91 meters, this static talent would be difficult to survive in the NBA. It’s hard not to think of the lonely god. However, the real difference between the two is: Stone said that Shepard's vertical jump is 1.02 meters. What is even more subversive is that in last year's draft physical test, Shepard's value in this area was 1.07 meters, ranking first among all rookies who participated in the test. He looks weak, but in fact... he is deceived by his appearance.

But judging from the level shown last season, if Shepard wants to reach the third overall level, his body must be the biggest constraint. So in the past summer, his most important thing must have been physical training. It is said that Sheppard's offseason training focused entirely on defense. He did not even allow the basketball to be touched in the first 40 minutes, so as to increase the intensity of physical confrontation. It can be seen from the appearance that he has indeed become stronger. Another point that is also very important is mental strength. In his rookie season, he was obviously not confident. But looking at his offensive and defensive performance against the Trail Blazers, it shines brightly. It's not just a matter of simply looking at the data table and seeing how many three-pointers he scored and how many steals he made. If a player is positioned as a pitcher, no matter what level of competition you play, NBA or BA, once you hesitate and worry about gains and losses...

Sheppard was decisive. From Durant to Shen Jing, they all supported this little brother and gave him confidence. Of course, the most outrageous thing is what Amen Thompson said to him. It probably means that if you don't shoot when there is an opening and you still dribble, I will beat you up. In a team like the Rockets, which aims to compete for the championship, it is often not friendly to players in Shepard's situation. After all, there is not so much room for you to practice and make mistakes. But it should not be said that Lao Fan's injury was a bolt from the blue for the Rockets, but it gave Sheppard a chance to take the lead, and he himself was very confident. Old Rockets fans know that the injury of one guard is the rise of another guard. We have seen this example many times. Xiaobian, Lowry, and Dragic back then were not the best examples. Now, it's time to pass the torch to Shepard.