Kentucky product Reed Sheppard already ‘too good for Summer League’ after 2 games

Reed Sheppard might just be the most talented offensive prospect in this year's draft class. After playing one season of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats, he entered the draft as a projected first-rounder. But during the combine and his team workouts, that's where he saw the leap into being a lottery pick, selected by the Houston Rockets.

Now, just two games into the summer league, he is already looking like the best player out of the draft, and he is proving why he deserved to be picked at No. 3.

While Sheppard is being criticized for being undersized, he has shown that he has all the aspects to his game to overcome the size part. His playmaking, pull-up game, dribbling skills, and defensive awareness make him unique on the floor.

In his first two Summer League games for the Houston Rockets, he scored a combined 45 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds, six steals, and four blocks while also shooting 56 percent from the field.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic already deemed Sheppard as a "too good for Summer League" case after just his first game.

Rookie Reed Sheppard shines in Summer League for Rockets

On Sunday, the Rockets played against the Washington Wizard, which features the No. 2 pick, Alex Sarr. Standing at just 6-foot-3, he still managed to outrebound 7-foot-1 Sarr in the matchup, which Houston came out with the victory.

His performance even impressed three-time All-Star point guard Trae Young.

The young talent in Houston is growing with the addition of Sheppard. He is joining Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Jabari Smith Jr. in becoming their point guard. Last season the Rockets made improvement and finished as the 11th seed in the West with a 41-41 record.

In the Summer League, the duo of Sheppard and Cam Whitmore has already been showing power.

After only two games, Sheppard's sharp passing skills show that he is too good for the summer league and that he is a true point guard. At Kentucky last season, he only had five starts, but that didn't stop him from putting up big numbers. He finished with an average of 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per contest while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 52.1 percent from the three-point range in 33 games

If he continues playing at this level, it should surprise no one if he is the Summer League MVP. And if this carries over into the regular seaso, Sheppard could potentially compete for Rookie of the Year as well.

Sheppard's Summer League journey will continue Monday as the Rockets take on Ron Holland II and the Detroit Pistons.