Rockets fans are hoping for a big season from their prize rookie in 2024-25. But what are the best rookie seasons in Houston’s history? New arrival Reed Sheppard won’t be able to compete with the best of the best, but he might be further up the list than some would expect. The simplest way of identifying those elite rookie seasons is to use the NBA’s own awards system.
Will Reed Sheppard Be Among Best-Ever Rockets Rookies?
Officially The Best
The Rockets have had exactly two Rookie of the Year award winners in their history. Those winners were Ralph Sampson and Steve Francis. Sampson came into the league in the 1983-84 season as the first overall pick in the draft and a generational prospect. His skill and agility at seven-foot-four were unrivaled. His rookie numbers of 21.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game earned him an immediate All-Star spot. Unsurprisingly, for Rookie of the Year, he was a unanimous selection.
Unfortunately, Sampson’s rookie year was about as good as it got. His stats remained mostly unchanged in year two, though he was rewarded with an All-NBA Second Team spot due to the Rockets’ improved record. That improved record was largely due to the arrival of another important Houston rookie. After that, his numbers actually started to decline. By year four, injuries meant he could no longer consistently appear on the floor.
Francis was a slightly less-heralded prospect. A six-foot-three point guard, he was originally selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies with the second pick in 1999. However, he refused to play for that organization and debuted with Houston. There, he electrified crowds and inspired an entire generation of Rockets fans. In his rookie season of 1999-00, he averaged 18.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. He did so with impressive efficiency for the era as well. His Rookie of the Year award was technically shared with co-winner Elton Brand. Similar to Sampson, his status within the Rockets organization would be compromised by another of the Rockets’ most promising rookies. Injuries also sadly caught up with him soon after he departed Houston in a trade to acquire Tracy McGrady.
What About the Actual Best?
Some may wonder how it could be that the best player in the Rockets’ history, Hakeem Olajuwon, didn’t pick up the Rookie of the Year award. The explanation is pretty straightforward. He was drafted in 1984, the same year as Michael Jordan. It’s to Olajuwon’s immense credit that despite being picked ahead of Jordan with the number one overall pick, nobody faults Houston’s logic or return on selecting him.
In his rookie season, Olajuwon was an All-Star, Second Team All-Defense, 12th in MVP voting, and the runner-up for Rookie of the Year. He averaged 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. As its only rookie to earn MVP votes, it’s evident that he was the best rookie the Houston franchise has ever had, which is hardly surprising for its best-ever player. His arrival in Sampson’s second year was the cause of the Rockets’ improved record. Olajuwon and Sampson together would go on to make the 1986 NBA Finals. There they would lose to Larry Bird‘s Boston Celtics. If Sampson had stayed healthy, who can say how many times they might have managed to get back there?
The same success was not replicated by the Rockets’ next pair of star rookies. In the 02-03 season, Francis’ fourth year, Chinese sensation Yao Ming was yet another Houston rookie All-Star. His case is a little more unusual though. He averaged only 13.5 points per game in his rookie season. The impact of the fan vote is demonstrated by Yao finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Amar’e Stoudemire, who was notably not an All-Star. Regardless, the franchise knew they had something with Yao and moved on from the former Rookie of the Year Francis to feature him more.
More Recent Rockets Rookies
Since the era of Houston’s megastar rookies, the franchise has had only three First Team All-Rookie selections. They are Luis Scola in 2007-08, Jae’Sean Tate in 2020-21, and Jalen Green in 2021-22, who the team still has high hopes for, though they are yet to extend his rookie contract. Scola was an Argentinian low-post wizard, who some Rockets fans see shades of in young Houston star Alperen Sengun. However, in contrast to the 22-year-old Sengun, Scola was already 27 in his rookie season. Tate was also an older rookie. While a physical scorer in the paint and a sound passer, defense was the main thing that set him apart. Like Green, Tate remains on the current roster, though he isn’t likely to feature in the default rotation.
For the sake of completion, a quick mention should also go to a couple of old-school All-Rookie First Team players from the Rockets (from back when there was only one team). Joe Meriweather played his sole Rockets season in 1975-76 before a respectable journeyman career with other franchises. Then John Lucas was nearly the team’s first-ever Rookie of the Year winner in 1976-77. He finished second in voting behind future All-Star Adrian Dantley. Lucas also remains with the Rockets even today. After working as a much-loved player development coach, he moved to the front office in 2023.
This Year’s Rookie
Competition for this year’s All-Rookie teams may be steeper than the general pre-draft prognosis would have suggested. Zach Edey looks set to have a sizeable impact for the Memphis Grizzlies and is an early front-runner for Rookie of the Year. The French duo of Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr will get plenty of run to make mistakes and improve, similar to Green in 2022.
All around the league, fans harbor high expectations of their 2024 draftees. Houston fans should be no different though. What Houston’s Sheppard has going for him is that he’s the closest thing to another NBA-level point guard behind veteran Fred VanVleet that the team has on the roster. Aaron Holiday is a valuable reserve with terrific defensive instincts, but he isn’t exactly the straw that stirs the drink on offense. Meanwhile, Sheppard can shoot off the dribble and has shown a remarkable instinct for, yes, reading the game.
Sheppard will get opportunities. If he makes the most of them, head coach Ime Udoka will notice. If he gets minutes as a contributor, an All-Rookie First Team spot is more likely than not. Sheppard’s own Rookie of the Year odds are also second only to Edey’s.
The Last Word
Of course, many Houston fans will care less about Sheppard’s specific accolades and more about whether his contributions will be enough to get them over the line the team set last season. A strong Sheppard rookie season could help the Rockets reach its goal of a berth in the Play-In Tournament. But who knows? While he isn’t going to be the next Olajuwon, he might be able to do one thing the Dream couldn’t – bring another Rookie of the Year award to Houston. Edey might be terrific, but he’s not Jordan.
