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Earlier this offseason, the Houston Rockets pushed their chips to the center of the table by trading for Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, giving up a package centered around Jalen Green in the process. The move signaled that the Rockets are all-in on competing for an NBA championship in the near future after finishing second in the Western Conference this past season.
With their guard depth now compromised due to the departure of Green, the Rockets may be leaning more heavily on second year player Reed Sheppard, who they drafted number three overall out of Kentucky in 2024.
Recently, Sheppard stopped by ESPN's NBA Today set at the Summer League in Las Vegas and spoke on what his reaction was when he heard that his team was acquiring Durant.
“Obviously when I saw it, it was really cool for me. I grew up watching him my whole life, so it's kind of crazy now that I'm going to be playing with him. But he's a great scorer, he really can do anything, he's a great winner, so it's going to be really fun. I'm really excited to play with him,” said Sheppard, per NBA on ESPN on YouTube.
Can Reed Sheppard contribute?
In his rookie season, Reed Sheppard didn't see much consistent playing time under head coach Ime Udoka, who opted to trot out a more defensive-focused lineup that helped the Rockets net themselves the number two seed.
However, Sheppard might be the second best pure jump shooter on the roster behind Durant, and he also flashed some playmaking ability during his time at Kentucky, which could open the door for him to see some backup point guard minutes this year behind Fred VanVleet.
This will be especially needed since the Rockets lost a good bit of scoring punch and perimeter play by giving up both Green and Dillon Brooks in the Durant trade as well as Cam Whitmore later on in the offseason.
If Sheppard is able to step up in rotational minutes this year, the Rockets could truly be a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference.
