"Astounding, it's simply mind-blowing": Fans blown away after Reed Sheppard's silky handles make Dalton Knecht dance

Houston Rockets rookie guard Reed Sheppard left NBA fans impressed by showing off his slick handles in their Summer League game against the LA Lakers on Friday in Las Vegas.

The third overall pick in this year's NBA rookie draft out of Kentucky put Lakers freshman counterpart Dalton Knecht on skates from the top of the key early in third-quarter action and finished it with a nifty floater. The move left his father, former Wildcat standout Jeff Sheppard, who was on courtside, all hyped up and clapping after.

Check out the move below:

Fans immediately shared their thoughts on Sheppard's impressive play on social media. Below are what some of them wrote on X, formerly Twitter:

"Astounding, it's simply mind-blowing," a highly impressed fan wrote.

Another X user, meanwhile, felt for Knecht for what he was subjected to.

"That dude has to go pick up his ankles lol," they said.

Some commented on how the move was a testament to the skills level of Sheppard and why he landed in the top three in the draft despite only playing one year in Kentucky.

"'Ok I see why he went top 3,' a now-convinced fan conveyed.

"Damn definitely worth top 3," another agreed.

"Houston got one!!," a user said.

Then, there were others who could not help but see his game in other established NBA stars.

One X user compared Sheppard to Klay Thompson with better handles.

"So many people have compared him to Klay, but MAN those are some handles. Sky is the limit if he can consistently score off the dribble like this," they wrote.

Some saw him in Tyler Herro.

"Reminds me of Tyler Herro," a fan said.

Another has him becoming the next Ja Morant:

"Next ja morant," a user commented.

One fan, meanwhile, made a bold claim.

"Already better than Steph Curry," they said.

The Rockets went on to defeat the Lakers, 99-80, with Reed Sheppard finishing with a team-high 23 points, to go along with five assists, four rebounds, three blocks and a steal in 30 minutes of play.

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Houston Rockets coach impressed with play of Reed Sheppard against Lakers

It was not only NBA fans who were left impressed with the play of Reed Sheppard against the LA Lakers on Friday in the 2K25 Summer League, as Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka also liked what he saw from their rookie guard.

Udoka highlighted the all-around game that the former Kentucky player showed in helping the Rockets to the 99-80 victory over the Lakers to get their Summer League campaign to a good start.

The Rockets coach said of Reed Sheppard after the game:

"I like his all-around game. Obviously, his shooting stands out, but he's very competitive, has a high IQ. I talk about his parents all the time. You know their background. You know what he's been taught his whole career, over his whole life so far and I love what he's doing today."

Reed Sheppard's parents, Jeff and Stacey, both starred in Kentucky, with his father helping the WIldcats to two national titles in 1996 and 1998.

The Rockets rookie played one year of collegiate ball in Kentucky, where he tallied averages of 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 steals on 53.6% shooting from the field and 51.1% from deep. It is that all-around game which he hopes to bring to the Rockets, who finished last campaign with 41-41 record.