Reed Sheppard hasn’t had the rookie season that he was hoping for. He played in only 52 games for the Rockets and averaged just 12.6 minutes per game in those contests. That’s certainly far below expectations for the no. 3 pick who lit up college basketball last season at Kentucky as one of the best freshman shooters in the country.
There are several reasons why Sheppard hasn’t played much. Injuries are a part of the story. He missed most of March with a thumb injury. He’s fully healthy now though, but still probably won’t be a part of the team’s playoff rotation.
Why is Reed Sheppard not playing for the Rockets?
Sheppard’s minutes have been up and down for the Rockets all year. He was given a chance to break in during the early portion of the season. He didn’t play particularly well, and he was relegated to garbage time minutes for long stretches thereafter.
Sheppard did get some real game time looks at the end of the year when the Rockets had the no. 2 seed locked in. He had some nice performances, including scoring 15 points in the last nine minutes of garbage time and averaging 19.7 points per game in his three starts this season.
Outside of those blips though, it’s been a rough year. Sheppard ended his rookie campaign averaging just 4.4 points per game while shooting 35 percent from the field and 34 percent from 3.
A lack of consistent minutes could be making it difficult for Sheppard to get in a rhythm. That role is partly due to the Rockets not being in a position to let him play through his mistakes. After finishing last season with the No. 11 record in the West, they were the second-best team in the West.
Sheppard also hasn’t been particularly aggressive in his minutes. That was an issue that cropped up at times in college and showed up in full force when Kentucky was upset in the NCAA Tournament.
Partly due to his role in the team’s offense, Sheppard hasn’t been able to create much offense or put pressure on the rim. It took him 21 games before shooting his first free throws of the season.
Sheppard has had some bright moments that are reminiscent of his college career. He threw possibly the pass of the season for the Rockets early in the season.
This Reed Sheppard assist is ridiculous.
?: @NBA pic.twitter.com/7vPqXudOAt
— The Jugo Mobile (@sportingnews) November 23, 2024
Those moments have been few and far between though. For the most part, Sheppard hasn’t been an impactful rookie. He also has a lot of competition at his position. Veteran Fred VanVleet has been a key to the franchise’s turnaround and is leading the team in minutes as coach Ime Udoka’s most trusted player.
Udoka also seems reticent to play younger players in general. Promising second year player Cam Whitmore is barely playing for the second year in a row, Amen Thompson didn’t play much during the first half of his rookie season, and the trio of Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Aaron Nesmith barely played while he was coaching the Celtics.
Thompson eventually earned a big spot this season by showing toughness and reliability. Sheppard will have to do the same, because he is not going to be gifted minutes while Udoka remains at the helm. He will likely remain glued to the bench unless an injury creates an opening for him.