Reed Sheppard is finally finding his place with the Rockets

The Houston Rockets, following their overtime victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night, now sit at a 9-3 record, placing them squarely in the third seed in the Western Conference, and, as they have ironed out their flaws, they have also begun to figure out what each player's role looks like on this new iteration of the team.

Perhaps the most impressive of these evolutions has been that of second-year guard Reed Sheppard who, despite concerns with his viability on the defensive end, has begun to utilize his gravity and his spacing in a way that could very quickly make him a crucial player to the Rockets' game plan.

According to Sam Vecenie, on the latest episode of the Game Theory Podcast, Sheppard's ability to drive to the rim could be the key to him finding his role at the NBA level:

"I think that [Sheppard] looks way more comfortable driving to the rim... He's settled into his role in the NBA in a really consistent way."

Sam Vecenie

Reed Sheppard's role on the Rockets needs to extend beyond just his 3-point shooting

When Sheppard was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, it was clearly to fill a very specific need for Houston: their lack of perimeter shooting across their roster.

In his second season, despite the pressures of an increased role in the absence of Fred VanVleet, Sheppard has provided just that. He's shooting 47.8% from beyond the arc this season on a healthy 5.8 attempts per game, and he is beginning to appear comfortable pulling up from virtually anywhere on the court.

Yet, given the rising importance of his role in the backcourt and his limitations on the defensive end of the floor, Sheppard cannot remain just a catch-and-shoot threat, and, according to Vecenie, the most important strides in his game are happening in other areas.

Take, for example, Sheppard's layup following Kevin Durant's chase-down block in their game against the Magic. There is a version of Sheppard, even earlier this season, who, instead of taking advantage of his offensive monetum, would have shied away from driving at the opponent in this manner:

Sheppard's transformation, however, is not limited to just transition offense. He is willing to drive to the basket in the course of their normal half-court offense, and, although he is not the most creative scorer in that area of the court, his threat as a perimeter shooter is allowing him the space to beat opponents on the dribble and kick it out to his teammates if needed.

This, along with a greater comfort as a facilitator, is the next step in Sheppard's game, and seeing his confidence rise in virtually all areas of his game is a beautiful sight for every Rockets fan.