Last Updated on March 4, 2025 by Mat Diekhake
Isaiah Reed Sheppard is an American professional basketball player, currently a guard for the Houston Rockets in the NBA.
- Full Name: Isaiah Reed Sheppard
- Nickname: Reed Rowdies
- Nationality: American
- Date of Birth: June 24, 2004
- Hometown: London, Kentucky, USA
- Height: 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 meters)
- Weight: 182 pounds (82.6 kilograms)
- Wingspan: 6 feet 7 inches (201cm)
- Shoe Size: Size 12 (US)
- Position: Shooting Guard / Point Guard
- Jersey Number: 15 (Houston Rockets)
- High School: North Laurel High School, London, Kentucky
- College: University of Kentucky (2023–2024)
- NBA Draft: Selected by the Houston Rockets in the 1st round, 3rd overall pick, in 2024
- Professional Teams:
- Houston Rockets (2024–present)
- Rio Grande Valley Vipers (NBA G League affiliate, 2025–present)
- Championship Rings: None as of January 2025
- Children: None
- Siblings: One older sister, Madison Sheppard
Reed Sheppard put up a 25-point outing today against OKC. Reed Sheppard was born today. I saw many good things about Reed Sheppard during today’s game. Sheppard looks like a player who can at least give occasional 20-point games on a contending team. I can understand why the Rockets drafted Sheppard. It wouldn’t have made much sense to add Stephon Castle to a roster that already had similar players in Jalen Green and Amen Thompson since they already commanded a lot of the ball. Sheppard won’t demand the ball from Green and Thompson; he’ll happily slot into a JJ Redick wing role and also ball handle occasionally for the sake of varying things up. I can see Sheppard as someone who can play minutes at point guard not necessarily to try to be John Stockton, but just to allow Green and Thompson to play their usual roles at shooting guard. Sheppard will be a great fit for the Rockets if he can give them occasional 20-point games and average between 10-15 points per game. 3/4/2025
ARCHIVES
Reed Sheppard has had a rough start to his NBA career after being drafted third overall. He has shown flashes of brilliance in the G-League but hasn’t shown the same ability when playing against NBA competition. Some are starting to doubt whether his body is capable of competing at the highest level. I don’t think Sheppard’s body lacks the athleticism to compete in the NBA; Steph Curry isn’t any quicker or better of an athlete. That said, Sheppard is starting to remind me of what happened to Jimmer Fredette. Fredette was such a good college player that nobody imagined his game not translating into the pros. But when you draft undersized players, it’s always a risk. The Rockets have recently alluded to Sheppard being a point guard which might be an early sign that they notice issues with him at shooting guard. I always viewed Sheppard as a JJ Reddick-type player. One mustn’t underestimate the achievements of JJ Reddick though. It’s not easy to be what JJ was in the NBA. 2/24/2025