The Houston Rockets were an entirely different beast last year when Reed Sheppard was on the floor, and the numbers are screaming. When Sheppard was in the starting lineup, Houston went an impressive 17-4, which boils down to a ridiculous 81 percent winning percentage. Compare that to their 35-26 record and 57 percent winning clip when he wasn’t starting, and you have to wonder what in the world was going on.
The Numbers Don’t Lie, Coach!
Forget the eye test for a second, because the stats paint a clear picture. Sheppard wasn’t just good, he was arguably their most impactful offensive weapon. He was the best long-range shooter on the team, hitting a fiery 39.4 percent of his triples on a high volume of seven attempts per game. We’ve talked endlessly about Sheppard’s “gravity” pulling defenders and opening up the court for his teammates, but on a squad that desperately needed outside shooting, it felt like his talents were constantly underutilized. Sure, 26.2 minutes per game is solid for a second-year player, but it still felt like Ime Udoka left some crucial court time on the table, not fully leveraging that offensive pull. The dude even finished sixth overall in NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting. When he *did* start, his averages jumped from 13.5 points, 3.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks to a much better 15.4 points, 4.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block per game.
Defensive Concerns? The Data Says Hold Up!
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: defense. Everyone points to Sheppard’s defensive limitations as the reason he wasn’t always starting, and yeah, there are highlight reels of him looking like a bullfighter on one-on-one defense. It doesn’t always look pretty. But before you write him off, check the data. Sheppard posted a +1.5 defensive box plus-minus, which was second on the entire team! His 112 defensive rating isn’t amazing, but it’s far from the “black hole” some might imagine. And get this: he racked up 3.1 defensive win shares, landing him fifth-best on the team, just below Kevin Durant’s 3.2, and Durant played way more minutes! This shows that despite the individual struggles, Sheppard can absolutely be part of a successful team defense by playing to his strengths, like his fast hands and surprising stock accrual. Is he an elite individual defender? No. Can he contribute to a good team defense? Absolutely, and he already has. Isn’t Ime Udoka supposed to be a defensive genius, anyway? You’d think he could scheme around one of the league’s best long-distance gunners.
Proving Grounds Ahead
Despite all this, the Rockets didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for Sheppard this offseason. They brought in Marcus Smart to compete for guard minutes, not to mention Fred VanVleet’s return and the signing of Bogdan Bogdanovich, all hoping to add more three-point shooting *outside* of Sheppard. So, Reed’s got to prove himself, no doubt about it. But he’s looking bigger and stronger, which should definitely help him on point-of-attack defense, and he’s got another year of confidence under his belt. If Sheppard can tighten up that defense while maintaining his elite three-point shooting, this guy is going to be a force for the Rockets. Get ready for a season where Sheppard truly stakes his claim.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Dream Shake.
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