Reed Sheppard, Ime Udoka & Rafael Stone | Houston Rockets Rookie Introductory Press Conference

Reed Sheppard, Ime Udoka & Rafael Stone | Houston Rockets Rookie Introductory Press Conference

what for questions J is Bry as you probably have heard relle 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 assum 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 ability uh come in every day and practice with the Positive mindset um on the whole season and just coming in and working really hard and just being that the guy on the team that will do whatever it takes to win Adam uh eay um how love were you in this process this year compared to last year and what stood out to you about Reed I would say equally um same as last year obviously we never a pick this High you know we moved up to Third and last year we had fourth and 20 so we’re very heavily 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 think just in general um all the things that stood out U you know raell and in the front office obv 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 this 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 H this is for eain um you guys talked about the the need to add outside shooting after last season now with with ready in place how much of that equation is solved and how much more do you still need from and from the other guys in the roster yeah I would say that was one of our our main objectives in offseason was to improving that area and so um people that we did Target with the draft three agency and and anything in between is going to be heavily involved the shooting um you know that’s that’s obviously one of his strengths uh that’s carried over throughout his whole career and what 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 take a step in that area and I think everybody understands that and understands how it can Elevate our group Cody um hey we welcome to Houston um just wondering what was it for you cleaning up in the 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 um I was ARS 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 go up around them and and listen and learn from them and then having them with me at uh games this year at Kentucky and the St 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 I’m very thankful for you though I 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 one more to the corner um if that’s coming in and trying to get a stop come in and try to get a stop um whatever it is just take basketball super super seriously and every time you step on the court that 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 CH hey welcome e uh will 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 whenn win a championship um me I think that’s the that’s the main goal um as a basketball players 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 you played really hard you played with a lot of uh positivity he was a good teammate he was a good person off the sport 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 a 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 then I like oh he just played basketball he was he was a winner he was a competitor but also it was a he was a good person thank hi in welcome to Houston kind of following up on Cody ask you about going 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 for my parents more mom than Dad but so no um you know they were both they were both really da on the the whole basketball journe and and the biggest thing of day to 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 can’t be soft that was one of dad’s mom and dad’s biggest words um going up is you can’t be soft so um just having the mindset and every time you roll the court you know to player as hard as you can and with the IQ stuff I think that’s just kind of a lot of R this from mom um say I I thank her for that but um you know I’m very thankful for for the both other that throughout the whole journey they they’ve been they had my back through it all so um can’t can’t thank them enough sry right here re welcome hon uh the Rockets uh had a huge turnar around 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 turn around what do you see yourself fit again and competing with though with a lot of that talent that they have here already yeah first all I’m I’m super excited to be in the position that I’m in and com 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 take my role and do whatever it takes to to help the team whether that’s shooting whether that’s getting with the paint and kicking it out just getting some movement um whatever it is just being that guy that that’ll do whatever it takes to win and whatever better the team needs so I’m really excited I think it’ll be a really fun grp to play with so I can’t wait to get started John uh being from Kentucky and playing at Kentucky I don’t know if you call it a spotlight a microscope whatever it is you’ve been under how has that put has for being a Rie 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 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 got to go against the best players in the world of 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 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 leark welcome welcome to Houston um you one the best Shooters in the nation last season um but another thing to kind of sit out was your ability to play off ball and I say because of the basket and get easy points that way now you’re playing with a guy like alurn shangan who one of the best post passers in the league how you think your game is going to mess with his once you get on the court yeah I I think it’ll I think it can be really special um you know it it will take time it’s probably won’t Click by the way 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 fair for for everything you know it’s new um but I’m really excited to play with him and with with everyone else on the team everyone is really good 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 Che hey we welcome to Houston obviously we talked a lot about your shooting ability but what about on the defensive end of the flu how much pride you enjoyed competing on that end and for you e may 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 they 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 to get a B tip or a block or something or somehow like interfere what he is trying to do don’t just give up always stay in a always stay in the play um never give up um and then really just knowing what the team needs defensively if they’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 yeah for me I think um to piggy back on what what Reed said you know he has the effort uh T his competitiveness and it 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 tough 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 as 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 the 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 them 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 and so he’ll fit into what we do well and only get better as time goes on Jason BR K you 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 practice that’s who you go against so 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 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 day playing in the NBA was was also a driven line just like playing at Kentucky was so I couldn’t I couldn’t pass up opportunities uh for you mean uh last year you talked about minutes not being allocated to anyone last or entering the season do you foresee a similar situation this you 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 counter something Reed said earlier I do want him to make it tougher on others I want to make a tough on myself and and the coaching staff to make decisions and so um you know you’re going to come and play and get the playing time that you earn basically and that’s I think you saw it last year we you know implemented some good veterans but the young guys the core of this team is really what going to elevate us and push us going forward and so Reed is in the same situation as the previous six draft picks and uh yeah come and compete and guys will here with Aaron but you’ve seen it starting isn’t as important it’s who finishes the game who’s playing well and that’s what I kind of stand on re you uh you had the pressure of following 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 it was a lot of fun uh you know my time back in toos was unbelievable um you know playing play a pickup against all those all the players was a lot of fun and we had some bad us um but you know I think that that prepares you so much for the season and it just get better every every day practice like I’ve said um I as the pressure I think it’s just as basketball um you know I love the game of basketball I was competing I was playing uh I was 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 bar a lot more if you if you wor about it if look at what people are saying so I think just going out playing the game you love having fun waking up every day with steep study gratitude just being thankful for where you are in the position that you’re in and just going out every day and compe little with everything you got K this emate during this pre-draft process what were the conversations like between you and the other assistant coaches and staff trying to talk about how it could be optimized within the system and how can improve the overall efficiency of of H yeah I think that we all discussed uh ways to use certain guys and the things we were targeting and and U obviously myself ofl 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 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 um 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 he 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 for pressure other guys to improve in that area as well Jen e um on draft mate we talked to wa and someone asked him about uh is with G League be an option like you 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 well I said he loves a g- league in terms of how it helps to develop young players yeah I don’t think I go with any uh predetermined plan as far as going to the G lead 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 a 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 g- League playing um guys that have not played as much really getting some repetition down there and so um no predetermined plan and um we’ll wait and see what happens as far as that but we’ll love to not even have to do it at all I’m sure he would too Jackson hey uh we already talked about you I Mak little gold there a bunch of insane athletes on this team Jay green amen Thompson cam whar I’m sure they’ll be on the receiving end of a number of you know LW passes and whatnot from me but at the combine you also reported a pretty impressive vole how many games until we see you on the receding end of a l ‘ll probably take a couple games no 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 r and go DK it cuz I quite up shoot like a little layup or something so it’ll probably work a little better if they did it um but no it’s going to be super fun play with play with those guys and playing with the rest of the team and I’m just I’m very thankful and I’m super excited to be here Adam I think we’ll see one on the on the 12th coach coach Garett Jackson draw some for him no uh e 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 do 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 and 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 coming and usually guys just work out one I know he wanted to compete lasted 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 soft and so that’s why I chuckled because I know he’s heard 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 Mom any other question Cody C hey re um just really quick have you had an opportunity to meet freed and and what are some of the lessons that you are hoping to learn from you yeah I haven’t I haven’t met him yet um but you know I’m I’m I’m excited coming in with a kind of open mindset not expecting anything just winning the wi um you know I’ve never played in the NBA and he obviously has he’s has a had a great career so I think learning everything from him anything they’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 for the open mindset wanting to learn and be the best player the best person in the life can be um but yeah I mean you know Fred’s a unbelievably Terror and he’s had a lot of success in the league so being able to have him and any other learn find him is is really exciting for me Brian 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 ring keep having fun for me that’s a that’s a big word uh is have fun Coach Cal he told me that going into my senior year at high school he said just have fun um so for me just going out it’s basketball it’s Dad called me the other day I was like they roll to the gym to work I’m sitting in the office so I just enjoy go out every day and have as much fun as you you can um enjoy playing with your friends enjoy enjoy the work um just keep going to the gym and and keep goinging better and we 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 your ball with it thank you we’re going to you photo opportunity

Houston Rockets rookie introductory press conference for Reed Sheppard featuring head coach Ime Udoka and general manager Rafael Stone.

#Rockets #NBA #ReedSheppard

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