Reed Sheppard could have a do-or-die season for the Rockets

As the Houston Rockets acquired superstar Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns this offseason, everyone across the league knew that major changes were coming to the team’s rotation.

Yet, young guard Reed Sheppard, who saw a limited role in his first season after being selected third overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, now will have a chance to prove himself as a serious NBA-level contributor, and, given the Rockets’ intentions to contend now, his performance could have serious implications for his role going forward.

Houston, in addition to a superstar scorer, has also maintained their sizable core of young talent, and, if Sheppard cannot earn his role on the team through his sharpshooting, it is possible that the team could utilize his value to bolster their roster even further.

Reed Sheppard needs to carve out a role for himself this season in the Rockets’ backcourt

Sheppard, in his singular college season at Kentucky, flashed his potential as a future knockdown shooter, averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting an absurd 52.1% from beyond the arc.

Yet, Sheppard also joined one of the most competitive organizations to have a high lottery pick in recent years. After finishing 41-41 in the 2023-24 season and showing marked improvement on both sides of the ball, Houston was gifted the third overall pick in the draft lottery.

Moreover, the team came out in 2024-25 looking well ahead of schedule in their path to contention, posting a 52-30 record and earning the second seed in the Western Conference.

Sheppard, therefore, was mostly sidelined during his first year with the team, averaging 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists on just 12.6 minutes per night.

Yet, with the departure of Jalen Green in the Durant trade, the Rockets’ backcourt is now wide open, and Sheppard, if he can begin hitting his perimeter shots at a more reliable rate, could see huge minutes off the bench this season.

In his young career, Sheppard’s shooting marks have come nowhere close to his insane efficiency in college. Last season, he shot just 33.8% from 3-point range, and, during a rough Summer League stint, he shot just 31.8%.

With increased volume and a larger role, it is highly likely that Sheppard finds his stroke this season. Yet, given the fact that their eyes are set purely on contending for a title, Houston frankly does not have time to allow a young, inconsistent player significant runway to figure out his offensive game.

Therefore, it is absolutely vital that Sheppard figure out his perimeter shot quickly this season, or it is a real possibility that the team could decide to flip him in order to bring in more dependable veteran talent to their roster.