Reed Sheppard should have Rockets grinning from ear to ear

Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard is about to be thrown to the wolves with Fred VanVleet likely to miss the entire 2025-26 season. Fresh off of a rookie campaign during which minutes were tough to come by, Sheppard has been tasked with stepping into a relatively featured role on a team with championship aspirations.

It's unrealistic to expect immediate greatness from Sheppard after the Rockets limited his opportunities in 2024-25, but he's giving them every reason for optimism during the preseason.

Houston doesn't need perfection from Sheppard, but instead a confirmation of his potential. Simply going out and playing with his usual vigor on defense while shooting more efficiently and showing signs of progress as a playmaker would suffice.

What Sheppard has managed over the Rockets' past two preseason games is exactly that, offering an early confirmation of what he'll be able to provide in 2025-26.

Sheppard began the preseason in a pedestrian manner, posting seven points, three rebounds, and an assist in 19 minutes while shooting just 2-of-6 from the field. He quickly returned to the second unit, but it's his response to adversity that should have Houston grinning from ear to ear.

Sheppard has not only played well over the past two preseason games, but looked increasingly more poised under pressure and capable in on and off-ball sets.

Reed Sheppard is showing the signs of growth the Rockets need to see

Sheppard's second preseason game was a breath of fresh air, as he posted 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, one block, and a steal on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. More importantly, he shot 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and even got to the free throw line for two attempts and conversions.

The next time out, Sheppard sustained his improvement with 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and a 2-of-4 mark from distance.

Beyond the numbers, Sheppard showed the instincts and polish that made the Rockets so eager to add him at No. 3 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. He didn't just create turnovers, but punished players for driving without absolute control over the ball by punching it out of their hands.

Sheppard also generated deflections not by playing the passing lanes in a way that would make the highlight reel, but by anticipating cuts and dimes that never arrived at their intended target.

Rockets' Reed Sheppard has been more decisive on both ends of the floor

Sheppard was also far more resolute in offensive settings, shooting as soon as his feet were set instead of overthinking his attempts. Perhaps most importantly, he looked comfortable on the ball, utilizing his handle to create space and making a series of dazzling passes beyond the scope of an average playmaker.

In most respects, Sheppard looked exactly how most expected him to after he turned the 2023-24 season into one of the most captivating freshman campaigns in recent college basketball history.

Sheppard averaged 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 2.3 three-point field goals made on .536/.521/.831 shooting during his lone season at Kentucky. In the process, he proved himself as a defensive ace and elite shooter who was comfortable creating for others.

If the preseason has proven anything, it's that Sheppard is far closer to returning to that level of impressive two-way play than his critics might've anticipated.

The sample size was admittedly small, but it's also worth noting that Sheppard posted at least 14 points in each of the four games during which he played at least 25 minutes in 2024-25. That includes a 25-point showing against the Oklahoma City Thunder and a 20-point outing against the LA Clippers.

It's too soon to know if Sheppard will translate this success to the regular season, but the Rockets have every reason for optimism after an impressive preseason.