Reed Sheppard didn’t get much real run as a rookie, especially one taken as the No. 3 overall pick, but he’ll be expected to step into an important role in year two.
NBA Summer League action in Las Vegas begins on Thursday and continues over the following 10 days. In an effort to get in some extra playing time, the former Kentucky guard will headline the Houston Rockets’ Sin City roster. In a perfect world, it shouldn’t be much of a challenge for him. Sheppard impressed during last year’s Summer League run across four games: 20 points, 5.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 steals per outing. He’s proven to be a step above that kind of competition. When demoted to the G League during the 2024-25 season, it only took three games before Houston called him back up. Sheppard averaged over 30 points per game during that stretch, even winning G League Player of the Week.
Houston’s front office clearly sees Sheppard’s potential, and they intend to extend his leash in 2025-26, but sitting out 30 games while only averaging 12.6 minutes per contest as a rookie didn’t help his development. The Rockets unexpectedly won 52 games last season. Sheppard was often the odd man out of the rotation.
That won’t be the case this season.
“I mean Reed is just going to have to be really good for us,” Rockets GM Rafael Stone told reporters Monday. “Period.”
The Rockets won’t surprise anyone this time around in 2025-26. Kevin Durant is on the roster thanks to a record-setting seven-team trade. Houston shipped out Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Cam Whitmore this offseason, opening up more minutes for Sheppard. He’s now suddenly high on the backcourt depth chart, which also includes Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, and Aaron Holiday. Stone says it’s unlikely more roster moves will be made between now and the start of the season.
Houston’s coaching staff wants Sheppard to slide in at backup point guard on a team with championship aspirations.
“I want him to be aggressive, I want to see just more growth as a point guard,” Rockets assistant coach Garrett Jackson, who will again coach Sheppard at Summer League, said Monday. “For him, he’s got a lot of tools, he’s a very smart player. I just want to see him get more comfortable on the court and just keep being aggressive.”
Pressure is a privilege. Sheppard will have plenty of it as a second-year player.
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