Skip to main content
Space City Scoop
Fansided

Reed Sheppard showed us that he deserves our respect

In a game where Sheppard was a surprise starter, his play makes it worth saying he belongs.
ByDarren Butler
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on Reddit
Google Discover
Oct 15, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) controls the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Oct 15, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) controls the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Going into Saturday night, the Houston Rockets were 2-0 and about to take on a fellow 2-0 team in the Atlanta Hawks. All seemed well until reading the injury report; it was announced that two key linchpins at the guard position in Fred VanVleet and Marcus Smart were both going to be out for the game. That left Houston with the decision to start Reed Sheppard alongside Amen Thompson at the guard positions.

Sheppard is someone who has had a rocky road during his time in Houston, showing many flashes but many duds at the same time. It was beginning to look like his spot in the Rockets' rotation was going to be significantly lessened, with the rotation having talented guards like Thompson, VanVleet, and Smart. But with two of those three names out, did Sheppard step up when the team needed him?

Reed Sheppard came alive in Atlanta

In 30 minutes of play Reed had a stat line of 19 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. Other points worth noting are: a plus/minus of +19 and 5-for-11 from the three-point line. All this came in what was a 121-114 win that pushed the Rockets to 3-0 on the season. This was a game that Sheppard was desperately in need of to get back in head coach Ime Udoka’s good graces.

After he had a quiet and inconsistent start to the season, Sheppard was still finding support from teammates like Kevin Durant so there are people aware of his talent. Tonight proved that when Sheppard is playing aggressively on both sides of the ball, he can be a key talent for Houston. If Sheppard can play like this in the games where VanVleet and Smart are out there the sky is the limit.

Can we expect more performances like this?

Houston will once again take on the Hawks on Monday, giving us more insight into how these teams match up. As of now, we do not know how the guard rotation will play out for this game but I feel confident that, regardless, Houston is different this year and I can see this team continuing to play together as well as they have. The season is still young and anything can happen, but Houston is doing something right and keeping up the momentum is key.

One of the first articles I wrote for this site was about Reed’s Sixth Man of the Year odds; maybe that is something we will get to revisit come season's end. The Rockets would certainly welcome that kind of boost from their former 3rd overall pick.

Add us as a preferred source on Google
Home/Rockets News