Rockets season now frighteningly hinges on unproven young player with VanVleet injury

As the 2025-26 NBA season creeps closer and closer, it has been a point of concern throughout this offseason that the Houston Rockets would not have enough backcourt depth to cope with the departure of Jalen Green in their trade for Kevin Durant.

Now, however, with the news that starting point guard Fred VanVleet could possibly miss the entire season with an ACL injury he has suffered, young, unproven guard Reed Sheppard will need to step into a larger role than he is perhaps prepared for: a seriously troubling development for a burgeoning Houston rotation.

Sheppard, 21, played limited minutes last season, and, although he was slated for a rotational role for development purposes, was not expected to be a major contributor to the team unless he took a significant leap in his second year. Yet, the Rockets now have no choice but to give him the opportunity.

Reed Sheppard must take a leap in year two or the Rockets could be in major trouble

Sheppard, who was selected third overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, was seen as a potentially generational sharpshooter coming out of college.

Yet, in his first season in Houston, the team's large crop of young talent forced Sheppard to be limited to just 12.6 minutes per game, within which he averaged 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Most concerningly, however, Sheppard shot just 33.8% from beyond the arc on the season.

His numbers in Summer League were not much better. Although the Rockets' roster in the competition was sub-par, Sheppard still only shot 31.8% from 3-point range through the two games he played.

Prior to the VanVleet injury, the team's backcourt depth was already a major concern. Although Aaron Holiday has proven himself as a reliable role player, it is unlikely that he could take on a larger workload and still maintain that same effectivenes.

Sheppard, however, is a different case entirely. He is largely a negative defender, and, while he can make the right passes when called upon, he is not necessarily a playmaker at the heart of his game. He is a sharpshooter, and, if his percentages do not begin to climb quickly, he will become almost unplayable with the way this Rockets roster is constructed.

Houston, moreover, cannot bring in any additional guards as of now due to their proximity to the first apron. Therefore, they must hope that Sheppard can take a leap in his second year in order to provide even one more viable guard to a rail-thin backcourt rotation.