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As rookie season ends, Rockets finding more confidence, aggression in Reed Sheppard
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- As rookie season ends, Rockets finding more confidence, aggression in Reed Sheppard
When you look back at the Rockets ' April 2 victory over the Utah Jazz at Toyota Center, one of the first things that pops out at you is the 38-point margin. With the win, Houston also clinched a 2025 playoff berth and helped secure a Southwest Division title, its first in both categories since 2020.
But hidden in the box score was a gem that only stood out if you were in attendance.
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With just under nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka inserted sparingly used guard Reed Sheppard to give his starters some rest. It would also give the rookie more live action after missing over three weeks in March due to a right thumb fracture .
Sheppard, the No. 3 overall selection in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft, took advantage of the opportunity and gave fans a glimpse of what is to come. He went 5-for-7 from 3-point range (71.4%), giving him 15 points on the night. In doing so, the 20-year-old became only the fourth player in NBA history to score that many points in under 10 minutes played.
The University of Kentucky product was so spectacular that every time he touched the ball, home fans screamed, "Reed!" Those minutes may have been minuscule to some, but they were a colossal confidence builder for Sheppard.
With the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference already secured , the Rockets played their final road trip of the regular season in California with plans to rest most of their rotational players. This allowed Sheppard to further build his confidence, as he was inserted into the starting lineup against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday and the Lakers on Friday.
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In those two games, he averaged 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals per game, and he did so while shooting 10-of-18 (55%) from 3-point range. That total included a career-high of six made 3-pointers versus the Clippers .
"He is aggressive and understands the shots he is getting against players and matchups," Udoka said from Los Angeles . "He is learning as he goes against some really good players."
Sheppard, who has spent time with the Rockets' G League affiliate this season, is part of a talent-filled backcourt that includes rising star Jalen Green and established veteran Fred VanVleet . So, it is imperative for him to make the most of his limited on-court opportunities.
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"It is always good just to get out and play," Sheppard said after scoring a team-high 20 points versus the Clippers. "It was fun being out there and being able to compete."
Teammate Amen Thompson knows what taking advantage of on-court opportunities is like. In his second year with the Rockets, Thompson went from a rotational player to a starter.
That same drive, will, and determination is something he has seen in Sheppard this season, and he spends a lot of time talking with the rookie — since they sit next to each other in Houston's locker room.
"It felt like the confidence that I had seen from the summer," Thompson tells Rockets Wire. "I knew he was nice, and I knew he could shoot. I knew he could do all of the things he is doing right now, if he got the opportunity."
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"It's just the confidence he is playing with. Staying ready has helped him a lot. After he came back from the G League, he has been balling when given the opportunity."
More: Lakers coach JJ Redick praises Houston's Cam Whitmore, Reed Sheppard
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets finding more confidence, aggression in rookie Reed Sheppard
