Pistons vs. Rockets Preview: Clintman Takes on Top Pick Sheppard and White Wizard; Rockets Aim for Winning Streak with Scorching Form

On July 16, the NBA Summer League continues with a match-up between the Pistons and the Rockets.

The Rockets have already played two games in the Summer League, defeating the Lakers 99-80 and the Wizards 109-91. The team’s top pick, Sheppard, has been performing exceptionally well. So far, among the rookies, only Sheppard has shown flawless performance, while other first picks like Risa Xie and others have left fans underwhelmed, with many agreeing that only Sheppard possesses the skills of a top pick.

In their opening game against the Lakers, the Rockets outperformed them in rebounds and shooting percentage. This high-profile clash saw Sheppard receive significant attention, as did the Lakers’ Bronny. However, Bronny missed all eight of his three-point attempts, being thoroughly outplayed by Sheppard. Sheppard played nearly 30 minutes, going 9-for-17 from the field, 4-for-6 from three-point range, and 1-for-2 from the free throw line, scoring a team-high 23 points with 4 rebounds and 5 assists, adding 1 steal and 3 blocks. Whitmore also had an excellent performance, going 8-for-17 from the field, 1-for-6 from three-point range, and scoring a double-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists, alongside 4 steals. Williams scored 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in this game.

Sheppard’s performance was not a one-off. In the previous game against the Wizards, the Rockets dominated across the board, winning the rebound battle by a margin of 18. Sheppard played 32 minutes, going 9-for-15 from the field, 1-for-5 from three-point range, and 3-for-4 from the free throw line, scoring the second-highest 22 points with 6 rebounds and 7 assists, along with 5 steals and 1 block. Off the bench, Robinson had a crucial performance, going 10-for-14 from the field and scoring 22 points with 15 rebounds and 2 assists. It’s worth noting that in the previous game against the Lakers, Robinson scored 11 points with 5 rebounds in limited playing time. As for Whitmore, he went 9-for-15 from the field, 0-for-3 from three-point range, and 7-for-10 from the free throw line, scoring a game-high 25 points with 8 rebounds and 4 assists. For him, the Summer League seems like a breeze.

The Pistons have so far played only one Summer League game, unfortunately losing 81-94 to the 76ers. They were outmatched by their opponents in rebounds and shooting percentage. Second-round pick Clintman started for 28 minutes, going 5-for-10 from the field and 3-for-7 from three-point range, scoring 13 points with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal. Yesterday, it was reported by journalist Shams Charania that sources revealed the Pistons signed 37th pick Bobby Clintman to a four-year rookie contract worth $7.99 million, fully guaranteed for the first two seasons.

Clintman, born on March 6, 2003, is 2.03 meters tall, weighs 96 kilograms, plays forward, and comes from Cairns Taipans (NBL). With a contract in hand, what kind of performance will Clintman deliver in the next game? It’s something to look forward to.

In this upcoming match-up, if Sheppard and second-year White Wizard play together again for the Rockets, they will undoubtedly put immense pressure on the Pistons. Whether the Pistons can secure their first victory remains to be seen.

Below are the detailed rosters for both teams in the Summer League:

Rockets: No. 3 Dante, No. 7 Whitmore, No. 14 Griffin, No. 15 Sheppard, No. 19 Nate Williams, No. 41 Hinton, No. 55 Kales, No. 56 Miles, No. 57 Wells, No. 58 Walbright, No. 59 Orlando Robinson, No. 60 Kira Lewis Jr., No. 61 Fabian White, No. 62 Udiz, No. 00 Samuels

Pistons: No. 00 Holland, No. 7 Moore, No. 24 Jenkins, No. 27 McCoy, No. 29 Estrada, No. 31 Hankson, No. 34 Clintman, No. 35 Higgs, No. 37 Peake, No. 38 Smith, No. 39 Slothson, No. 42 Williams, No. 43 Johnson, No. 45 Baker

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