Reed Sheppard and Stephen Curry (Images Credits: Getty Images)
Stephen Curry began his 16th NBA season with the Golden State Warriors, making him the player with the longest current tenure with a franchise. There was speculation about how he would perform after Klay Thompson’s departure in the offseason. Amid the arrival of new talents in the league, NBA analyst Tom Haberstroh closely scrutinized the performance of a rookie player and drew parallels between the rookie’s style of play and that of Curry
During a recent appearance on The Kevin O’Connor Show, Haberstroh discussed the future of Houston Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard. While talking about Sheppard’s chances of winning Rookie of the Year, he mentioned that Sheppard is the closest thing to Curry.
“He’s not Steph Curry, but I think he is the closest thing to Steph Curry we’ve seen in a long time,” Haberstroh said.
On July 3, 2024, the Houston Rockets selected Sheppard as the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft. He then signed a rookie-scale contract with the team.
Cam Whitmore Draws An Intriguing Parallel Between Sheppard And Stephen Curry
Sheppard, who played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats, impressed everyone at the NBA summer league in Las Vegas. His stellar skills also caught the attention of several players in the minicamp and training camp. When asked about Sheppard in an interview with Space City Home Network, Cam Whitmore gave high praise to the rookie.
“I saw Steph Curry a little bit. Not trying to exaggerate it, but he’s a great player. He knows how to read the defender. His defense, he knows where to find the ball. I said it at summer league, he’s going to be a great player,” Whitmore said.
Curry is widely regarded as the most excellent point guard of all time. He is renowned for his exceptional 3-point shooting skills. Whitmore and Haberstroh have expressed the belief that Sheppard possesses a playing style similar to Curry’s. Despite being at the early stages of his professional career, it will be truly captivating to observe Sheppard’s development and witness the full extent of his talent.
