Reed Sheppard has made it painfully obvious what his NBA future will be

As the Houston Rockets navigate their first season without Fred VanVleet since 2022-23, Reed Sheppard has entered the spotlight. Expectations were already high given that he was the No. 3 overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft, but patience ran out when Houston's depth chart was shattered by VanVleet's potentially season-ending injury.

Many hoped the Rockets could shoehorn Sheppard into the VanVleet role, but what he's proven in 2025-26 is that his future is as more of a combo guard than a floor general—and that's not a negative.

Sheppard is an imperfect player, as any 21-year-old guard being tasked with helping a contender realize its potential would be. He's quickly proving that playing time is all he needed to prove he's an NBA-caliber contributor, however, with statistics that are eerily similar to what he did in college.

In 2025-26, Sheppard is averaging 12.3 points, 3.2 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 2.8 three-point field goals made in just 22.6 minutes per game on .485/.477/.571 shooting.

By comparison, he averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 2.3 three-point field goals made per game on .536/.521/.831 shooting during his lone collegiate season. A legitimate knockdown shooter who dominates the passing lanes and can create in a pinch, Sheppard offers a well-rounded skill set.

If the Rockets are willing to look past the conventional definition of what a point guard should be, Sheppard could be a perfect fit alongside Amen Thompson.

Reed Sheppard: Imperfect point guard, perfect fit with Amen Thompson

Sheppard's current averages translate to 19.8 points, 5.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 steals, and 4.5 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes. That's impressive production from a second-year player who barely saw the court during his rookie season and has been unexpectedly thrust into a vital role.

It's also a statistical confirmation of how well Sheppard can complement Thompson, who has become one of the top facilitating wings in the NBA.

Thompson is currently averaging a career-best 5.5 assists and 11.4 potential assists per game. Both of those figures rank No. 2 on the Rockets behind All-Star center Alperen Sengun. More importantly, they reflect the steady evolution of his game.

Thompson is on pace to increase his average in assists per game for a second consecutive season and has steadily become a trusted source of shot creation and playmaking for Ime Udoka.

Sheppard is thus an ideal player to share a backcourt with Houston's resident Swiss army knife. He's an excellent off-ball player who knows how to get open and is knocking down 47.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot three-point field goals in 2025-26.

Sheppard is by no means a bad playmaker, but is instead more of a complementary piece—the exact type of player Houston needs for its system.

Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson provide balance on offense

While Sheppard is showing signs of being a top-tier floor spacer, Thompson is still limited to downhill offense. He's shooting just 21.5 percent from beyond the arc, although it is encouraging that he's increased his free throw percentage from 68.4 in 2024-25 to 74.0 in 2025-26.

With Thompson offering relatively limited value as an off-ball player, Sheppard operating as a guard who shoots first and creates second is quietly ideal.

With Sheppard and Thompson, Houston has two young players who can create for others, play above the rim, and torment teams in transition. It also has one rising star who specializes in getting to the basket and another who can bury jumpers with his eyes closed.

That's worked out well for the Rockets in 2025-26, as the Sheppard and Thompson pairing is already producing elite results as a two-man lineup.

Sheppard and Thompson have shared the court for 293 possessions with 23 different five-man lineup combinations. Houston ranks in the 84th percentile in net rating, 78th percentile in offensive rating, and 82nd percentile in defensive rating with that dynamic duo on the court.

Sheppard may not fit the mold of a pure point guard, but in Houston, he's exactly what the team and Thompson need him to be at the position.