{"id":163299,"date":"2025-10-19T12:02:35","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T16:02:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=163299"},"modified":"2025-10-19T12:02:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T16:02:35","slug":"assessing-reed-sheppards-progress-from-preseason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/10\/19\/assessing-reed-sheppards-progress-from-preseason\/","title":{"rendered":"Assessing Reed Sheppard’s Progress From Preseason"},"content":{"rendered":"

The main talking point of the Houston Rockets’ preseason was, unsurprisingly, the first glimpse of ageless superstar<\/a> Kevin Durant<\/a> in Rockets red. The next biggest talking point was probably the play of promising sophomore guard Reed Sheppard<\/a>. So with preseason wrapped up, and the regular season just around the corner, how should Rockets fans feel about the progress of their young darling?<\/p>\n

Assessing Reed Sheppard’s Progress From Preseason<\/h2>\n

Drafted third overall in 2024, Sheppard has earned plenty of aspirational comparisons<\/a>. His shooting and feel for the game were outlier skills in college that seemed to forecast a promising career. His rookie season with the Rockets proved more inclement than some expected. Still, Sheppard’s importance to the team skyrocketed after the injury to starting point guard Fred VanVleet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To some, his value jumped after he scored 29 points in the Rockets\u2019 final game of preseason<\/a> against the Atlanta Hawks<\/a>. Indeed, Sheppard’s overall preseason was largely encouraging. Still, there’s some nuance that’s important to bear in mind.<\/p>\n

The NBA has a rule: somebody has to score. \u201cGood stats, bad team\u201d is a common term for the phenomenon. That doesn\u2019t mean the player is bad. It\u2019s the NBA. Just to get there, you have to be an out-of-this-world basketball sensation. But the scoring numbers do not necessarily reflect the talent relative to the rest of the league.<\/p>\n

In Sheppard\u2019s big game, the next best player in the Rockets\u2019 rotation was Aaron Holiday<\/a>. They also started Josh Okogie<\/a> and Isaiah Crawford<\/a>. They even started 39-year-old Jeff Green<\/a> at center. Somebody has to score. Okogie nearly matched Sheppard with 28 points. That doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s another contender for Houston’s final starting spot.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a straightforward counterpoint to all this. The Rockets not only won the game, but they did so playing against Atlanta\u2019s actual rotation. Trae Young<\/a> and Kristaps Porzingis<\/a> each played over 27 minutes. Undoubtedly, though, the Hawks’ intensity could have dropped when they realized they’d be playing against the Rockets’ third-stringers. But Sheppard still matched his namesake when called upon to shepherd the Rockets’ offense.<\/p>\n