Scathing Reed Sheppard criticism could sink the Rockets’ title dreams

With the news of the potentially season-ending ACL injury that Fred VanVleet sustained last week, the Houston Rockets' offensive rejuvenation will now depend heavily on the abilities of Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard to take over starting point guard responsibilities.

Yet, according to Bill Simmon, the defensive liabilities in Sheppard's game could mean that he is not ready to take on such a hefty role, and the potential implications for his play in the playoffs could sink the Rockets' title hopes entirely.

While Sheppard is just entering his second year, and should thus be given time to develop into the player the organization thinks he can be, his timeline has now been accelerated by Houston's lack of backcourt depth. The team, therefore, cannot afford for this criticism of Sheppard's game to prove true.

Reed Sheppard needs to play more actively on defense if the Rockets want to have any shot at a title

Sheppard, who will be just 21 years old entering the season, had a rough rookie year with the Rockets. He struggled to earn a rotational role, averaging just 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting just 33.8% from beyond the arc.

Now, however, with VanVleet out, the young guard will need to take on a much larger role in the team's offense, perhaps even serving as the starting point guard depending on how Thompson's run at the position goes.

Simmons, however, in his recent comments on the latest episode of his podcast, has revealed that he thinks there is one key factor that could prevent head coach Ime Udoka from relying fully on Sheppard: "A friend of mine who loves basketball and is involved in the league texted me and said he saw Reed at Summer League playing, and said he played like a rich, spoiled kid at an AAU tournament. That worries me..."

Indeed, Sheppard, who stands at just 6'2" and is not very quick laterally and at the point of attack, has struggled and will struggle to remain viable on defense, and, if there's anything we know about Udoka, he values defensive viability very heavily.

While the Rockets did not have much talent across their Summer League roster, and were thus dependent upon Sheppard to take on much of the offensive workload, these comments are concerning for a number of reasons.

For Sheppard to get significant run in the regular season, let alone the playoffs, he will need to take a major step forward on defense this year, and it remains to be seen whether he is willing or able to take the necessary strides in his game.

Therefore, while the exact language used to describe Sheppard might be harsh, the concerns that Simmons exacerbates are certainly valid, and the team has a major point of anxiety in attempting to anticipate Sheppard's role this season.