Rockets finally give Reed Sheppard vote of confidence with surprising rumor

Every rumor seems to indicate that the Houston Rockets have a lot of belief in Reed Sheppard. The latest scuttlebutt is that he'll have plenty of opportunities in 2025-25. That's what The Stein Line's Jake Fischer is reporting (subscription needed).

"The word out of Houston is that the Rockets will use the next few months to evaluate both recent No. 3 pick Reed Sheppard and standout swingman Amen Thompson in greater ballhandling capacities before Trade Season truly begins on December 15."

- Jake Fischer, The Stein Line

Letting Thompson run point felt inevitable after Fred VanVleet's unfortunate injury. He's flashed clear star potential in the NBA - whether as a point guard or not. If Thompson can't run point, he'll still be a highly effective point forward, but the Rockets need to take an opportunity to find out what they have.

The case with Sheppard is somewhat different. He struggled mightily as a rookie in 2024-25.

How large of a role can a contending Rockets team give him this upcoming season?

Rockets will give Reed Sheppard a golden opportunity

It should be said that Sheppard responded well to heightened responsibilities last year. When he did start, he averaged 19.7 points and 4.7 assists per game. The problem?

Those numbers came in a three-game sample size.

Sheppard was a low-minute reserve for most of the season. It wasn't hard to see why. Sheppard was an easy target for opposing teams on the defensive end. Given that he only connected on 33.8% of his three-point attempts, Ime Udoka could hardly justify giving him more than the 12.6 minutes per game he played last year.

Still, we expect rookies to struggle. Sheppard did flash upside, even if most of the year was a challenge. There's some reason to hope he can improve as a sophomore if he's given a role:

Whether it's a starting role or not.

Rockets will find room for Reed Sheppard in the rotation

Who knows? Sheppard could be on the floor for the season-opening tip-off.

Udoka could take any number of directions. Thompson is another option. The Rockets could lean into size at the expense of spacing by starting the biggest point guard in the NBA. If they started Tari Eason or Dorian Finney-Smith at the 2, they'd be massive.

Alternatively, Udoka could favor the veteran Aaron Holiday. It's an uncomfortable possibility - Holiday would surely be the least inspiring starting point guard in the NBA - but he was more impactful than Sheppard last year, and he provides functional floor spacing that Thompson does not.

Either way, Sheppard has a golden opportunity here. He will be a rotation staple out of necessity. If he can make the most of his opportunity, it'll put his career on a new trajectory:

He'll justify the team's belief in him in the process.