After Fred VanVleet went down with an injury before the seasons began, the Houston Rockets title contention chances have seemed to fluctuate along with the team’s overall performance. Some games, the Rockets can function without a true lead guard on the court. Other times, it can lead to major malfunctions that sabotage their opportunities to win.
Reed Sheppard is one of the players who has gotten opportunities to play that lead ball handler role. While he hasn’t had as many as Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, or Kevin Durant, he has shown flashes in the role despite mixed results. However, more consistent opportunities could lead to more consistent production.
Head Coach Ime Udoka doesn’t seem ready to elevate Sheppard into the starting lineup full time. Removing the defense or shooting of Tari Eason or the recently improved play of Jabari Smith Jr. from the starters doesn’t seem likely due to Sheppard’s defensive limitations, but he should be considered more often throughout games and in the clutch if he’s playing well.
His style of play is a breath of fresh air compared to some of Houston’s other lead ball handler options.
He’s got a significantly better jump shot than Thompson, is much quicker than Sengun, and has a tighter handle than Durant. He has shown proficiency running the pick-and-roll, and he knocks down deep shots at a high rate.
The most encouraging part of Sheppard’s game is how much it resembles what VanVleet provided to the team last season. Sheppard hasn’t reached VanVleet’s surgeon-level ability to limit turnovers, but both players can play either on or off the ball.
With dynamic players on the roster, having a lead guard who can also come off the ball during games is important. The movement keeps teams off balance, especially when the lead guard is knocking down shots off-ball.
Sheppard can fill that role if he gets more opportunities with the Rockets. Again, expecting the same level of excellense as the team would get from VanVleet is not reasonable. However, just filling the role with a lead guard with some handle and shooting ability could relieve the pressure from the rest of the team’s talented players.
There are concerns about Sheppard’s defense, and leaving him on an island in the clutch doesn’t seem to be the best outcome against elite teams. However, some matchups throughout the regular season lend themselves to be good opportunities for the Rockets to manage the defense well despite limitations from one of the five defenders on the floor.
Getting Sheppard more play during those opportunities before the season is over could set him up to make a big impact for the team in the postseason against elite teams.
