Zach Lowe says the quiet part out loud about Reed Sheppard’s defense

When starting point guard Fred VanVleet went down with an ACL injury, one of the biggest immediate concerns for the Houston Rockets was the questions surrounding Reed Sheppard's ability to take on a larger role given his limitations on the defensive end of the court.

Through the team's first couple games, it appeared as though these anxieties were playing themselves out in dramatic fashion. Yet, according to Zach Lowe on the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Sheppard has already shown drastic improvement in that aspect of his game in just the first month of the season.

"The first couple games he looked so in mud defensively... He has [since] been a little bit more [resistant to] rolling over or getting blown by in the open court every single time easily."

Zach Lowe

Reed Sheppard will never be a plus defender, but his early improvements are making him infinitely more viable

When the Rockets chose Sheppard with the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, they hoped to add an injection of something they desperately needed, active 3-point shooting, to their roster.

While he was relatively limited in his first season in the league, Sheppard's sophomore season has already borne immense dividends. Through his first 14 games, he's averaging 13.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting a lethal 48.8% from beyond the arc.

Yet, even despite the potential of him reaching these numbers, there was concern before the season began of his defensive limitations rendering him essentially unplayable. At 6'2" and 185 lbs, Sheppard's lack of lateral quickness and small stature makes him a target for quicker guards on the defensive side of the floor no matter how active his hands are.

Yet, as Lowe points out, he's already shown drastic improvements in his intensity and his ability to stay in front of his man at the point-of-attack this season. While he must still have help defenders nearby to prevent a downhill drive, he is becoming more capable on a game-to-game basis of contributing in a positive sense on defense.

Moreover, he's averaging 1.6 steals per game, and his willingness to gamble for poke-outs and deflections, while it may burn him at times, shows an energy that will be vital to his continued improvement on that end of the court.

Therefore, while defense will always be a concern in Sheppard's game, he has done enough early in the season to reassure the Rockets that he can continue to become one of their most important players this season.