Reed Sheppard has slammed the door shut on criticism Rockets never believed

As the Houston Rockets entered the season, there was almost no greater concern among the general NBA public than the prospect of Reed Sheppard, who struggled to crack the rotation in his rookie season, taking over a major role for the team in his second year.

Yet, through just his first 13 games, Sheppard has managed to silence most of these doubters as he's looked like the exact bench scorer, and the elite sharpshooter, that the team desperately needed him to be.

So far this season, Sheppard is averaging 12.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and three assists while shooting an excellent 47.3% from beyond the arc. Moreover, his clearly rising confidence bodes well for his continued improvement, and, although there are still concerns lingering about his long-term defensive viability, it is quite possible that the Rockets may have ultimately landed upon one of the most rapidly developing young players in the NBA.

Reed Sheppard now has a very clear role for the Rockets, and he's performing it excellently

Although the season-ending ACL injury that starting point guard Fred VanVleet sustained in a team mini-camp late this past offseason has obviously affected every player on the team in some way, perhaps none have been more affected than Sheppard.

For Sheppard, who averaged just 12.6 minutes per game last season, this was supposed to be a developmental year: one in which he would hopefully progress as a shooter but would not be asked to take on a major role in an offense that was striving for championship contention.

Of course, things did not play out according to plan (as they rarely do in the NBA). Yet, it is clear that Sheppard has made the most of his opportunity so far this season.

Not only is he pulling up from deep with an apparent lack of trepidation, he's also developing a mid-range shot and a handle that will allow him to not only score in other areas of the court but also to create additional space to get his perimeter shots up. He's shooting 11-of-24 from the mid-range this season, and, although this represents only a portion of his shot attempts, the fact that he's taking (and sinking) these shots on a routine basis is highly encouraging.

If there's one thing that Houston still needs, its volume 3-point shooting. Although they are currently first in the NBA in 3-point percentage, they are dead last in 3-point shots attempted on a per-game basis.

When they need the offensive boost, Sheppard is rapidly becoming a player they can turn to to provide it. Even if he is not able to progress to the starting lineup this season, it appears as though he is already a lock to become one of the team's most impactful bench players alongside Tari Eason, and that should be considered a resounding success.