Rockets' Reed Sheppard disappoints NBA fans with quiet preseason debut against Jazz | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

Reed Sheppard made his debut with the Houston Rockets on Monday night when they played on the road against the Utah Jazz and suffered a 113-122 loss.

After being drafted with the No. 3 overall pick out of Kentucky in the 2024 NBA Draft, fans had high expectations for the 20-year-old. However, those expectations quickly faded after he contributed four points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks in his debut.

Aside from delivering an outstanding pass that led to two points and a smooth jump shot right from the arc, Sheppard didn't quite show fans what they expected.

The 6-foot-2 shooting guard was called up to support veterans Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet in hopes of helping turn around a Houston team that finished 41-41 last season.

During Sheppard's one-year tenure with the Kentucky Wildcats, he averaged 12.5 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 52 percent from distance.

Despite his short stint at the collegiate level, Sheppard believes his time at Kentucky (1:50 mark) has him well prepared for the big leagues.

“The good thing about going to Kentucky is you get to play against the best players in the world and you get coached by the best coach in the world, Coach Cal,” Sheppard told reporters on draft night. “Being able to compete against these guys in practice and keep getting better just prepares you for the NBA.”