Reed Sheppard’s path to a bigger role in Houston may not run through all the usual guard traits. It runs through one thing he already does at an elite level: bomb away from deep.
That was the strange tension around Sheppard last season. He was one of the more frustrating Rockets on the roster, and by the end of the year he looked frustrated too.
Even with Fred VanVleet sidelined for the entire season, Sheppard never fully grabbed hold of a starting guard spot in Houston. The overall sophomore season disappointed, but the long-range shooting kept a door cracked open.
From extreme range, Sheppard belonged with the best of the best. On attempts from at least 28 feet, only three players matched him in both efficiency and volume: Payton Pritchard, Tyrese Maxey and Stephen Curry.
Two of those names are All-Stars, and Pritchard has built plenty of his value on exactly that kind of shooting. That alone gives Houston a reason to keep believing there’s something real here.
The upside is obvious if Sheppard keeps leaning into that weapon. A guard who can punish defenses from that far out changes how teams guard him. If he keeps showing that same pull-up confidence, the shot itself should start creating lanes for him to attack.
Of course, the Rockets have a decision to make, and it won’t be simple. Sheppard could still grow into a useful scoring guard, maybe even a real difference-maker.
But that outcome is no sure thing, and Houston may not have the luxury of waiting forever. Even if he does blossom later, that might arrive too late for a title push with the current core that includes Kevin Durant.
The organization has already shown it’s willing to move on from young talent if the right opportunity comes along. So Sheppard’s margin for error is thin. He’ll need to keep reinforcing the one thing that already travels: his shooting.
That means staying aggressive, even when the shots aren’t falling. The deep ball can still bend defenses, and that matters.
He may not yet give Ime Udoka the stout defense or steady playmaking the coach wants from smaller guards, and he’s not going to turn into a polished point guard overnight. But he can keep forcing the issue from outside.
For Sheppard, the next step is pretty clear: clean up the weaknesses little by little, and keep putting his best trait on display. The Rockets don’t need him to be perfect right away. They need him to keep proving that one elite skill is real enough to matter.
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