Stephon Castle is turning Rockets’ Reed Sheppard pick into painful debate

The 2024 NBA Draft is becoming more painful by the day for the Houston Rockets. With the third pick in the draft, Houston selected Reed Sheppard. With the very next pick, the San Antonio Spurs selected Stephon Castle.

At the time, the decision was easy to understand. Sheppard was an analytical darling, while Castle had major questions about his offensive ceiling. Two seasons later, that debate looks very different.

I am still a believer in Sheppard becoming an everyday contributor for this Rockets team. He is far from a bust, and his shooting and offensive upside still give Houston plenty of reason to remain excited. However, it is becoming harder to imagine Sheppard reaching Castle’s ceiling.

Both players are 21 years old, but Castle has already started to look like a future star in San Antonio.

Castle has blown past expectations 

In his second season, Castle averaged 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists. He was also a standout defender, often taking on difficult perimeter matchups.

In comparison, Sheppard averaged 13.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Those are encouraging numbers, but the concern is that his defense continued to hold him back, which made it harder for him to fully earn the trust of head coach Ime Udoka.

Despite both players being combo guards, their games are very different. Castle entered the league as a defensive specialist with above-average playmaking. His NBA success was always going to depend on whether he could develop enough scoring touch to become a reliable offensive option. Through two seasons, he has blown past those expectations.

Sheppard entered the league from the opposite direction. He was viewed as an elite shooting prospect who could potentially grow into more point guard responsibility over time. His biggest question was whether he could survive defensively well enough to stay on the floor in high-leverage moments. That question still has not been answered.

Rockets fans should not give up on Sheppard

Even with Castle’s scoring success, he has struggled as a shooter, making just 30.5 percent of his career attempts from beyond the arc. It is fair to wonder whether Castle would have found the same offensive rhythm in Houston’s cramped spacing. The Rockets badly needed shooting, and Sheppard directly addressed that weakness.

However, Udoka has also shown a clear preference for players who can defend. Castle would have had an easier path to earning minutes because of his defensive tenacity.

Hindsight is 20/20. It is easy to criticize the Rockets front office now, especially with Castle looking like one of the best young two-way guards in basketball. Still, Rockets fans should not turn this into a referendum on Sheppard’s entire future.

Sheppard improved tremendously between his first and second season. The Rockets are reportedly still very high on his long-term upside, with some even believing he can eventually have a Steve Nash-type impact on the team.

That may or may not happen. For now, all Rockets fans can do is hope Sheppard continues to develop.

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