There was a competition for the Houston Rockets starting five this last month. It started when they decided to let Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks go. Then it took a turn for the worse when Fred VanVleet got injured. This ugly development opened up an opportunity for Reed Sheppard but the question now is, did he earn it?
Sheppard played four pre-season games for the team. Reception over his first game, which was against the Atlanta Hawks, was lukewarm as he only scored seven points in that game, attempting just six times. The lack of aggressiveness showed but it only got better from there.
Even his superstar teammate Kevin Durant took notice. He thinks his game came along in the past three games.
“I love what Reed was. Last game, it kind of came all together, as far as how aggressive he was on both ends of the floo,” KD said when asked about the second year guard.
“It set the tone. We were playing our second unit, some third, and we beat a good, first-unit (Atlanta) team.”
Reed Sheppard’s aggressiveness
Sheppard appeared to be a player who learned what he needed to do. He scored 29 points in rematch with the Hawks and was more aggressive all night long, attempting 22 times. He filled the statsheet with his six rebounds, six assists, four steals, and three blocks.
In the game before that, which was against the New Orleans Pelicans, he played 19 minutes and scored eight points.
The Rockets will need his services this season, whether from the bench or as a starter, as the Rockets are expected to contend for the title. Head coach Ime Udoka has confidence in him to take a leap. One thing he needs to work on is his confidence.
“It was just a little bit of the confidence and second guessing, at times and the physicality of the game on both ends affected him at times,” Udoka said at the start of the month.
“A lot of times you take that leap between year one and year two. The work he’s shown in the offseason, already, he’s taken a nice jump.”
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