Almost 20,000 fans entered the Thomas & Mack Center to see Bronny James play it out in Lakers vs Rockets but were disappointed since Reed Sheppard took all the limelight away. The #3 pick helped the Houston Rockets’ cause to get home, 99-80. Even as that LA side attempted to give a tough fight, it was the Rockets in the driver’s seat throughout the game.

Notably, Sheppard shot 23 points to cement the win. It seemed like he went into a comfort zone as the game progressed, showing the world why he was picked at #3 in the Drafts earlier. His marksmanship when it came to 3-pointers translated the game to another level, leaving everyone stunned. He not only launched 4 three-pointers but also took care of point guard duties, dishing out 5 assists.

While playing against him, the “star” kid, Bronny James could only score 8 points and 5 rebounds, struggling overall with his long-range accuracy. As soon as he started to display a hint of aggressiveness on the court, his offensive side took over, rather weakly. James Jr. had an overall poor shooting night with 3-14 FG and was miserable from the arc as he went 0-8.

However, this is where Reed Sheppard stole the thunder from Bronny. The 20-year-old starlet went 4-6 from the arc, making his presence felt at the big stage. Even before the final whistle, Sheppard already had the NBA world talking about him. Reacting to his performance, a fan wrote, “Rockets drafted the next Steph Curry who would’ve thought.”

People aren’t really wrong. Sheppard, just like Steph Curry, stands rather small in the NBA. His height is 6-foot-2, but manages to cover up for it with his amazing shooting skills. And Sheppard seems to be enjoying it all. “We had a good week in practice, so just to get out and go against another team was a lot of fun,” he said after the game.

The only saving grace on the Lakers’ side was Dalton Knecht, who was able to score from three levels, proving his fit with one of the most traditional franchises’ in the NBA. The #17 overall pick Knecht didn’t go down easily as he recorded the game-high of 25 points with a 9-18 FG. He even went 5-11 from the arc, giving a bit of solace to the Lakers fans. Nevertheless, it was all about Sheppard, who knocked down the wall and grabbed the attention of the fans.

Fans see “generational prospect” in Reed Sheppard

Reed Sheppard was just one performance away from stealing the NBA world’s heart. Fans have already begun with their predictions for the year. Last year, fans unanimously pointed their fingers at Victor Wembanyama for the Rookie of the Year award. And rightly so, he won it with sheer dominance on both ends of the court.

And this year, even as we all thought it would be Zaccharie Risacher taking away all the glory, fans believe it could very well be Sheppard who’d be taking the Rookie of the Year award home. A fan wrote, “im calling it right now if reed sheppard get minutes wherever hes going hes going to win rookie of the year.”

People have this notion that he indeed has the abilities that were advertised when he first entered the league. So, he might as well take the ROTY award away next year.

While some fans restricted themselves to calling him the ROYT candidate, a fan went a little overboard and wrote, “He’s a low taper away from being a generational prospect.” It’s not that very often when the NBA world witnesses a generational talent. At the same time, many players failed to live up to the title after it was attached to them in the beginning.

The Lakers didn’t expect Reed Sheppard to demolish them at the Summer League opener. Will he continue to produce similar performances in the upcoming games? Let us know in the comments below.

Before you go, do not forget to check out Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, to open up about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud. Keep checking this space for more such updates.