Reed Sheppard Introductory Press Conference | Houston Rockets

Reed Sheppard Introductory Press Conference | Houston Rockets

all right uh Hey guys uh thank you very much for coming on behalf of the Rockets and the fora family we definitely appreciate it myself an eay um and uh it’s an exciting day for us uh the draft’s always a fun time and uh leading in summer league is always a fun time and we’re we’re really looking forward to it this year so with that I will hand it over to uh Mr shepher thank you guys uh I’m super excited to be here I can’t wait to finally get here and and call houst of my new home and and get the season started so I’m really excited and thankful to be here re welcome as you probably have heard Rafel said the Rockets viewed you as the top prospect the best Prospect in the draft if you agree with him why would you feel that way assuming you do agree I think just just coming out every game um doing whatever it takes to win uh being the the guy that it doesn’t matter what what coach needs what the team needs I’m going to do it to the best of my my ability uh come in every day and practice with a positive mindset um on the whole season just coming in and working really hard and just being that the guy on the team that will do whatever it takes to win uh eay um how involved were you in this process this year compared to last year and what stood out to you about Reed I would say equally same as last year obviously when you have a pick this High you know we moved up to Third and last year we had fourth and 20 so we’re very heav involved and uh got a chance to not only watch film but meet and and do a little bit of hanging out and getting to know the guys and so very similar to last year um and so yeah I I think just in general um all the things that stood out um you know raell in the front office obvious obviously digs into it a little deeper throughout the season but once we get that pick and we kind of Target it on a few players uh a lot of things that Reed does obviously stood out the shooting ability the IQ um has a great background lineage with his parents and if you know about their story you know he’s raised well and raised in a basketball family and huge community in Kentucky and so all those things stood out um and then you get to know the person and and it was you know a perfect match and so we hoped it fell our way and we’re excited when it did this is for eain um you guys talked about the need to add outside shooting after last season now with with Reed in place how much of that equation is solved and how much more do you still need from internal improvement from the other guys in the roster yeah I would say that was one of our our main objectives in offseason was to improve in that area and so um people that we did Target with the draft free agency and and anything in between is going to be heavily involved with shooting um you know that’s that’s obviously one of his strengths uh that’s carried over throughout his whole career and when we had him in person you know you saw that immediately and so he’ll address that immediately um but as I’ve always said the Improvement within our within our group um you know guys are in the gym months ago already working and so we need to take a step in that area and I think everybody understands that and understands how it can Elevate our group um hey Reed welcome to Houston um just wondering what was it like for you growing up in a basketball household and having your parents actually lay that basketball Foundation has gotten you here today yeah it was it was huge um you know for me me and my family were really close and and Mom and Dad they never made me play basketball U I was always around the game going to gyms going to practices whatever it was I was always around basketball um they never had anything in the house like jerseys or anything so it wasn’t like it was like we play basketball you have to play basketball they were just worried about being Mom and Dad um but as I got older knowing they played it was really cool for me being able to see that and watch kind of watch some tape of them playing and and just being able to know that they were my parents and they were that good and so it was really cool being able to grow up around them and and listen listen and learn from them and then having them with me at uh games this year at Kentucky and the stands they didn’t miss a game so and then um so that was really cool just being able to be around them as as Mom and Dad um and they’ve been they’ve been huge for me in this whole process so I’m very thankful for them I read um your shooting numbers at Kentucky were pretty Elite but what would you say are the aspects of your game that are strongest outside of your ability from Beyond The Arc yeah I think like I said earlier um just just kind of doing whatever it takes to win um making the right basketball play if if someone else is open in the corner making the the one more to the corner um if that’s coming in and trying to get a stop come in and try and get a stop um whatever it is just take basketball super super seriously and every time you step on a court play as hard as you can and be that teammate that no matter what the coach or the team needs you’ll you’ll do that for the team to get the win hey Reed welcome to Houston uh when you look back on your career potentially 10 15 20 years down the line from now uh what would a successful career look like in your eyes yeah obviously when when a championship um you know I think that’s the that’s the main goal um as a basketball player is you want to win at the highest level and you want to be the champion um but you know at the end of the day being being a guy that everyone looks at and knows he played really hard he played with a lot of uh positivity he was a good teammate he was a good person off the court you know I don’t want to just be known as a basketball player um I think it’s very important to get out in the community and interact with the fans and and have good relationships with with your teammates and the coaches in the front office and and everything everyone in Houston just and just being that good team and Community guy that looking back 20 years they’re not like oh he just played basketball he was he was a winner he was a competitor but also he was a he was a good person Hi in the center welcome to Houston kind of following up on what Cody asked you about growing up in a household of basketball what did you one of the things people say about you is you have a high basketball IQ how much does that contribute to it and what kind of things did you really learn from your parents although they didn’t force it on you yeah I learned I learned so much from my parents more mom than Dad but no um you know they were both they were both really big on the the whole basketball journey and and the biggest thing that they taught was just just work hard compete don’t let anyone out work you um it doesn’t matter if if something hurts you you get out and you you fight through it um you don’t you’re you can’t be soft that was one of dad’s mom and dad’s biggest words um growing up is you can’t be soft so um just having the mindset of every time you go on the court you’re going to play as hard as you can and with the IQ stuff I think that’s just kind of a lot of that is from mom um so I I thank her for that but um you know I’m very thankful for for the both of them and throughout the whole journey they’ve they’ve been they’ve had my back through it all so I I’m can’t cut and thank them enough right here re welcome to Houston uh the Rockets uh had a huge turnaround last year and I don’t know how much of it you got a chance to watch but the last three draft classes has contributed a lot to that turnaround where do you see yourself fitting in and competing with though with a lot of that talent that they have here already yeah first off I’m I’m super excited to be in the position that I’m in and coming into a young team that that did have a really good season last year and they have a lot of really good young guys and I’m just coming in I’m excited I’m going to be not I’m not expecting anything so I want to come in and help the team in whatever way I can I don’t want to come in and and make things harder for anyone I want to come in and play my role and do whatever it takes to to help the team whether that’s shooting whether that’s getting in the paint and kicking it out just getting some movement um whatever it is just being that guy that that will do whatever it takes to win and and whatever whatever the team needs so I’m really excited I think it’ll be a really fun group to play with so I can’t wait to get started being from Kentucky and playing at Kentucky I don’t know if you call it a spotlight or a microscope whatever it is you’ve been under how has that prepared you if it has for being a rookie and making this transition yeah I think it’s I think it’s huge um you know like you said being from Kentucky it was always a dream of mine to play at the University of Kent Kentucky and being able to do that with uh for Coach Cal who I think is one of the best coaches in the world and being able to do that with such great teammates and at Kentucky you get better every day you get to go against the best players in the world in practice you have Target on your back every game um so I definitely think it has it has helped me for for being a rookie um but you know at the end of the day you just got to go and you got to you got to go play you got to play hard you don’t don’t change anything just because you’re a rookie now you go out and you play you play the right way you do whatever it takes to win hello Reed welcome welcome to Houston um of course you were one of the best Shooters in the nation last season um but another thing to kind of stood out was your ability to play off ball and also because of the basket and get easy points that way now you’re playing with a guy like Alper and shenon who’s one of the best post passers in the league how do you think his your game is going to mesh with his once you get on the court yeah I I think it’ll I think it can be really special um you know and it it’ll take time it’s it probably won’t right away it’ be really good if it did but you know you got to you got to figure out how to play play with each other and and then just get the fill for for everything you know it’s new um but you know I’m really excited to play with him and with with everyone else on the team everyone is really good and it’s going to be I’m super excited to get here and learn and just be a part of be a part of the Houston Rockets hey Reed welcome to Houston obviously we talked a lot about your shooting ability but what about on the defensive end of the floor how much pride do you enjoy competing on that end in and for you eay what stands out when you watch him on the defensive side of the floor yeah I think on the defensive side you know a lot of it is just is just fighting um you know it’s really hard to to just really stay in front of someone the whole possession so whether no matter what happens always fight if they get by you don’t don’t give up on the play you can Trail and try and get a back tip or a block or something or somehow interfere what he is trying to do don’t just give up always stay in the always stay in the play um never give up um and then really just knowing what the team needs defensively if you’re supposed to be in the Gap being in the Gap if you’re not then you’re not um so being a good team Defender I think is really important and for me I think uh to piggyback on what Reed said you know he has the effort toughness competitiveness and he kind of starts with that on the defensive end to have that mentality and mindset and then um you know like you said one-on-one defense is one of the toughest things to do in the league and he’ll improve in that area just like guys did last year but um what we looked at and we saw a lot on film was his deflections his steals his team defense always being in the right spot and that takes IQ that takes um you know not not just knowing what you’re doing knowing what your whole team is doing and so very lot a lot of similarities with Fred gets a lot of hands on the balls and and Steals and deflections and those things and his anticipation is great there we had him in the gym playing a little bit with our guys and did the same thing there and so took the challenge of some bigger bigger guys as well as well and so he’ll fit into what we do well and only get better as time goes on Jason Bristol kou um just wondering after leaving school early why do you feel that you are ready for this next level yeah I think I think a lot of that is from Kentucky you know you go there and you you get a play for a coach that has put many many many guys in the NBA you get to go against players that are NBA talent and every day in practice that’s who you go against so you you get better um you know everything at Kentucky is it gets you prepared for the next level and and after the season I I talked with my parents and we were we looked at some stuff we were talking to some people and and we just thought it was the the best decision for me and it was hard it was hard you know being from Kentucky um but you know at the end of the day playing in the NBA was was also a dream of mine just like playing at Kentucky was so I couldn’t I couldn’t pass up the opportunity uh last year you talked about minutes not being allocated to anyone on the roster entering the season do you foresee a similar situation this year and do you think that’s a healthy Dynamic for your team early in the year yeah it’s going to be very similar you’ll you know you’ll earn what you get and I think you saw that last year for the most part um but we understand we’re in a winning situation but also developing young guys and and they’ll get a chance to get out there and play and so you know I count counter something Reed said earlier I do want him to make it tougher on others I want him to make it tougher on on myself and and the coaching staff to make decisions and so um you know you you’re going to come and play and get the playing time that you earned basically and I think you saw that last year we you know implemented some good veterans but the young guys the core of this team is really what’s going to elevate us and push us going forward and so Reed is in the same situation as the previous six draft picks and yeah come in and compete and guys will get what they earn but you’ve seen it starting isn’t as important it’s who finishes the games who’s playing well and that’s what I kind of stand on read you uh you had the pressure of falling in the footsteps of your father when you went to Kentucky you had the pressure of making it to the NBA but when you when you look take a look back do you feel like there’s also pressure on you because there’s a lot of great guards that have come out of the University of Kentucky and what was those pickup games like no there was there were a lot it was a lot of fun uh you know my time at Kentucky was was unbelievable um you know playing playing pickup against all those all the players was a lot of fun and we had some battles um but you know I think that that prepares you so much for the season and and you just get better every every day in practice like I’ve said um but you know as far as the pressure I think it’s just it’s basketball um you know I love the game of basketball I love competing I love playing uh I love getting close with my teammates and on and off the court so I think the pressure part is yeah it’s there but it’s it only it’s there a lot more if you if you worry about it if you look at what people are saying so I think just going out playing the game you love having fun waking up every day with in a steep state of gratitude just being thankful for where you are and the position that you’re in and just going out every day and competing and giving it everything you got this is eate during this pre-draft process what were the conversations like between you and the other assistant coaches on the staff trying to talk about how he could be optimized within the system and how you guys can improve the overall efficiency of of Houston yeah I think we all discuss uh ways to use certain guys and the things we were targeting and and um obviously myself and Rafel in the front office have a lot of conversations with the coaching staff spent quite a bit of time with him as well and everybody sees the film you know we got to see him in person some in California some here and um everybody sees the shooting ability the IQ the competitiveness and so um just ways to implement him into what we want to do it’s it’s not saying we didn’t have a sniper on our team last year but um guys improved in that area and it’s obviously added bonus to us and when you can draw up a lot of different things to use a guy with his skill set and so the range the um the focus that he brings on the court due to his shooting ability will open up a lot of things and like like you said it’ll take a little time to get used to the NBA game but um the range the IQ and that stuff translates well it has high school to College college to now and we don’t anticipate it taking a ton of time but what he does so well it opens up the Playbook and and you know put pressure on other guys to improve in that area as well eay um on draft night we talked to Rafel and someone asked him about uh is with g-league be an option like you’ve done with players previously he said it’s totally up to you and what you do is that part of the plan uh is it wait and see for Reed in terms of a g- league Rafel said he loves a g- league in terms of how it helps to develop young players yeah I don’t think i’ go in with any uh predetermined plan as far as going to the g- league or not um obviously last year was beneficial for guys cam wasn’t playing as much early and he worked through some things there and came back better um our men had the injury so we got him two or three games down there coming off the injury but it’s nothing determined going into it I think it’s an added benefit that we can use if need be but um you know in the perfect world we love for Reed to jump into the rotation be a big part of it and not never have to see the G league if it’s something you need to do then you know for years I’ve seen ton of success stories coming out of the g- league playing um guys that have not as much really getting some repetition down there and so um no predetermined plan and um wait and see what happens as far as that but would love to not even have to do it at all I’m sure he would too hey Reed uh we’ve already talked about your playmaking a little bit and there’s a bunch of insane athletes on this team Jaylen green Min Thompson cam Whitmore I’m sure they’ll be on the receiving end of a number of you know lob passes and whatnot from you but at the combine you also recorded a pretty impressive vertical how many games until we see you potentially on the rece into a l u it’ll probably take a couple games no but I’m just I’m excited like you said there’s a lot of athletes on the team um so I think I would rather throw them the lob and let them let them put their head at the rim and go dunk it because I’d probably end up shooting like a little layup or something so it would probably look a little better if they did it um but no it’s going to be super fun playing with playing with those guys and playing with the rest of the team and I’m just I’m really thankful and I’m super excited to be here we see one on the 12 Coach Garrett Jackson draw some up for him no uh eay you kind of laughed when uh Reed said that right here you kind of laughed when Reed said that the message that he got from his parents was you can’t be soft I’m I’m wondering just did you see that feistiness from him either on tape or when you worked him out yeah you saw it on film obviously and like I said Rafel in the front office dig back deeper than I do going into a ball and all the things high school and all so we’ve all seen that um but one thing that really stood out to myself in the staff was when he came in he didn’t just want to work out he wanted to compete and go against some other guys and so that stood out for somebody in this position that’s going to go as high as he was that you don’t really just come in and usually guys just work out one i0 he wanted to compete SL stood out but we had a dinner last night where got to meet the family and Stacy said it a few times it can’t be sof and so that’s why I Chuck because I know he’s heard it his whole life I heard it about five times last night so um something that I know I don’t have to say to him and if I think he’s being soft I just got to call on hey Reed um just really quick have you had an opportunity to meet Fred and and what are some of the lessons that you are hoping to learn from him yeah I haven’t I haven’t met him yet um but you know I’m I’m I’m excited I’m coming in with a kind of open mindset not expecting anything just wanting to learn um you know I’ve never played in the NBA and he obviously has he has a had a great career so I think learning everything from him anything he’ll say asking asking questions just watching how he goes about his life on and off the court um in practice how he interacts with all the guys how he just everything he does just watching and trying to trying to learn as much as I can from him but not even just him from everyone um whether that’s the coaches the players it doesn’t matter just coming in and with an open mindset wanting to learn and be the best player and the best person that I can be um but yeah I mean you know Fred’s a unbelievable player and he’s had a lot of success in the league so being able to have him and being able to learn from him is is really exciting for me coming from a small town in in Kentucky what do you say to that young man a young lady that’s back home shooting trying to get to the point to where you are right now I think just just keep going um you know keep working keep having fun for me that’s a that’s a big word um is have fun Coach Cal he told me that going into my senior year of high school he said just have fun um so for me just going out and it’s basketball it’s Dad called me the other day he was like you’re going to the gym to work I’m sitting in an office so just enjoy it go out every day and have as much fun as you can um enjoy playing with your friends enjoy enjoy the work um just keep going to the gym and and keep getting better and you never know what will happen um it may not happen fast it may take some time but just keep going and keep working and just have a ball with it e e e e

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