Solution to Rockets' biggest problem is right in front of their eyes

The Houston Rockets are lacking backcourt depth. Reed Sheppard could be the answer to their prayers.

That's a lot of pressure to put on a sophomore. If Sheppard's rookie year was any indication, he might not be ready for the moment.

Yet, he has to be.

That's the burden of being drafted to a contender. Sheppard gets the advantage of learning a winning culture right away, but it comes at a cost. The Rockets need him to be ready to play winning basketball expeditiously.

The organization believes he can do it.

The Rockets are putting a lot of faith in Reed Sheppard

At least, that's ESPN's Kevin Pelton's impression. He just published an article naming every team's biggest weakness. In his view, Sheppard is the man who can solve the Rockets' backcourt problem.

"The Rockets are hoping 2024 No. 3 pick Reed Sheppard can solve this problem in his second season".

- Kevin Pelton, ESPN

He's surely right. Taking a look at the Rockets' backcourt rotation makes it obvious.

They know they can count on Fred VanVleet. Granted, his 0.9 Box Plus/Minus (BPM) from 2024-25 was a massive dropoff from the 3.4 mark he posted in 2023-24. VanVleet's pedestrian 51.5 True Shooting % (TS%) was the primary culprit for his poor production.

Still, he's a steady hand. VanVleet will continue to protect the rock, and make the right pass. He's not a flashy superstar guard, but he's reliable.

Otherwise, we're looking at Aaron Holiday in terms of rotation regulars. He can shoot and defend, but he'd be among the worst primary backup point guards in the NBA.

It all adds up to one of the league's worst playoff backcourt rotations. That's the cost of having arguably the league's best wing rotation and a high-end big man rotation as well. Still, looking at this roster makes one thing clear:

The Rockets need production from Sheppard.

The Rockets must keep expectations fair for Sheppard

It's a balancing act.

The Rockets should have lofty expectations for Sheppard. He's a recent third overall pick. They should also mitigate those expectations based on his performance as a rookie. Sheppard had a -1.7 BPM last year: He's not going to be ready to play like one of the league's best backups on day one.

As with VanVleet, shooting efficiency is the main hangup. Sheppard was drafted to be a sniper, so he needs to improve on his 33.8% three-point shooting. Otherwise, he needs to figure out how to fight through his size issues on the defensive end of the floor.

If he can accomplish both of those goals, he should be a viable backup point guard. That's all the Rockets should hope for in year 2, and it would represent a massive improvement:

It could even be a prayer answered.