Fred VanVleet's return will be the most overlooked key to Reed Sheppard's growth

The Rockets will need strong leadership heading into this season and fortunately they'll have Fred VanVleet back to provide some of it directly on the court. The potential impact of VanVleet's return, after missing all of last season to injury, has been discussed in detail but his role in Reed Sheppard's continued growth has been overlooked.

During his media day interview, VanVleet expressed a surprising sentiment: "I haven't really played with Reed yet." While it's true that VanVleet and Sheppard did share the court during Sheppard's rookie season, Sheppard was an entirely different player last season. As Sheppard looks to progress even further, having VanVleet active in his corner should be a huge boost.

VanVleet has a lot to teach Sheppard

There are a ton of similarities between the two undersized guards, even if their original draft standings couldn't be more different. Both VanVleet and Sheppard are small by NBA standards - Fred is listed at 6'0" and 197lbs while Reed is listed at 6'2" and 185lbs. However, VanVleet has the experience and tricks to hold up as a solid defender, and can help Sheppard get to the same point too.

The further addition of Marcus Smart to the roster should also help Sheppard defensively. Smart is someone who will always push his teammates on that end and can also cover up for Sheppard when they share the court. Like VanVleet, he will have a lot of knowledge to pass on to Sheppard about maximizing guard defense in today's NBA.

Both VanVleet and Sheppard were also heavily reliant on 3-pointers for their shot diet in their most recent season played. VanVleet has found other ways to impact the offense too, mainly through his playmaking and general management of the team's possessions. Sheppard needs to unlock that skill as well to become a more well-rounded offensive weapon.

The Rockets are expecting a big year for Sheppard

Sheppard did show a ton of growth last season, going from 4.4 points per game in his rookie year to 13.5 in his second season. But Houston needs even more from him if they are going to have a reliable bench unit. Sheppard needs to be a force not only as a scorer but also running the offense and getting teammates involved - all while avoiding being hunted on defense.

VanVleet's guidance should be instrumental to helping him pick up the soft skills of a proper NBA point guard. Having VanVleet back also lets Ime Udoka be more judicial with Sheppard's minutes and pull him if he's getting overwhelmed. Udoka was arguably too conservative with Sheppard's playing time last season, so hopefully VanVleet can help there too as an advocate for the young guard.

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