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As chemistry develops, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard is excited about his NBA debut

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As chemistry develops, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard is excited about his NBA debut

“I'm really excited to go out there for the first time in my first game,” Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard said before Wednesday's regular-season opener.

Brian Barefield
| Rockets Wire, Big Sarge Media

HOUSTON – Rookie guard Reed Sheppard stood at the free throw line and went through his shooting routine after the Rockets' morning shootaround on Wednesday.

While he was concentrating on taking the shot, he was constantly accosted by his 6-foot-2 teammate Steven Adams, who acted like an annoying big brother looking for a reason to mess with his little brother.

While Adams made noises and stood right next to him, Reed hit consecutive free throws as if he were practicing at his home in London, Kentucky.

It takes a lot to upset the No. 3 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, and he walked onto the court Wednesday night at Toyota Center with the same demeanor. This matchup will be Sheppard's first regular season game of his career.

“I’m really excited,” Sheppard said after Wednesday’s shooting. “The nerves aren’t really there yet. I'm sure I'll be a little nervous making my way to the arena and getting there. But at the moment I’m just really looking forward to getting my first start in my first game.”

The 20-year-old Sheppard didn't know how many minutes he would play. Still, he knows the chemistry he's built among his teammates — especially players like Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore and Fred VanVleet, with whom he'll share the court several times this coming season — will last over the course of training camp and the preseason has grown.

The former Kentucky Wildcat is known as an excellent perimeter shooter, hitting 52.1% of his three-point attempts in his only college season. If he can repeat that success in the NBA, it should open the floor for many of his teammates who have outstanding ability to drive to the rim.

“It's easy when everyone knows how to play basketball properly,” Sheppard said when asked about the camaraderie he has developed with his teammates. “We've been playing together for a few months now, so we've been able to go to the gym every day and continue to get to know each other by learning more offense and defense with each other. We're just figuring out how each other plays and it's been really fun. I feel like our chemistry is getting better every day.”

More: The Rockets announce the official roster to open the 2024-25 NBA regular season

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