The Houston Rockets have shut down Reed Sheppard for the remainder of the NBA Summer League after an impressive showing, but the organization believes his biggest impact is still to come.
According to Keith Smith of Spotrac, a Rockets front office executive expressed confidence in the young guard, saying, “Big year coming for Reed. We had a tough backcourt to get minutes in last year. This year, there are minutes there for him, if he takes them.”
Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists through two Summer League games. Although he shot just 36.4% from the field and 31.8% from deep, his ability to create shots, draw fouls, and disrupt defensively stood out in Las Vegas.
The 21-year-old also showed poise and confidence, getting to the free throw line consistently and playing nearly 31 minutes per game before the team opted to rest him.
Sheppard’s strong summer follows a rookie campaign in which he appeared in 51 games for Houston, averaging 4.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 12.5 minutes per contest.
Houston briefly assigned him to the G League in January for more playing time, but he returned quickly and carved out a larger role as the season progressed.
The Rockets executive told Smith that Sheppard reminds him of Payton Pritchard’s early career — someone who had to earn minutes in a crowded backcourt by gaining the coach’s trust. He added, “Ime [Udoka] doesn’t give anyone anything. If you play, it’s because you earned his trust and earned that time. Reed did everything we asked, and now he’s on his way to earning those rotation minutes.”
