火箭2026-27训练营：里德·谢泼德恐失首发位置

It looked like the Houston Rockets were destined for bigger and better things prior to the 2025-26 season when they traded for Kevin Durant to complement their fast-rising young core. However, an injury to Fred VanVleet before the season even began seemed to cap the Rockets’ potential.

The Rockets went through the 2025-26 campaign with only Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holiday as point guards by trade, and the results were mixed. While Sheppard impressed for stretches, his defensive limitations made him a constant source of frustration for head coach Ime Udoka.

As a result, the Rockets had to play some suboptimal lineups without much shot-making off the bounce, relying heavily on Durant and Alperen Sengun to create offense from the perimeter. They also leaned on their bruising identity, as they set out to beat opponents night after night on the boards.

The Rockets’ offensive formula worked to start that season, but when Steven Adams suffered a season-ending ankle injury, Houston sputtered. It all came to a head in the 2026 NBA playoffs, when they struggled against the Luka Doncic-less Los Angeles Lakers and suffered a first-round exit in six games.

The good news is that VanVleet has fully recovered for training camp and figures to re-assume his starting spot for the Rockets. And with VanVleet returning, one player for the Rockets has to take a backseat — and that will be Sheppard, the third overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft.

Reed Sheppard to come off the bench yet again in Year 3

The runway was there for Sheppard to cement himself as a starter for the Rockets this past season. He was much-improved, averaging 13.5 points per contest, and he was also disruptive on defense — tallying 1.5 thefts per game. His durability was also welcome, as he suited up in all 82 games for Houston last season.

But it’s rather telling that Udoka didn’t keep him in the starting lineup even when the Rockets were crying out for a natural point guard. For starters, he’s not the best playmaker in the world. He’s not an extension of the coaching staff whenever he’s on the court, and he tends to defer to Durant, Sengun, and Amen Thompson in the offensive initiation department.

He was at his best when he can work off screens, both on and off the ball, to make use of the gravity he possesses thanks to his elite marksmanship from beyond the arc (he made 2.8 triples on 7.0 attempts per game last season, a 39.4% clip). He’s not someone who generates too many advantages when he handles the ball.

Sheppard is also not the most impactful player getting to the rim to begin with. This just compounds the defensive issues the Rockets have when he’s out there on the court. Standing at 6-foot-2, he doesn’t have the size or the strength to handle bigger players, and he becomes a huge target for opposing teams to poke at on switches.

But if there’s anyone who Sheppard can learn from, it’s VanVleet. VanVleet is not the tallest (he is listed at exactly 6-foot), and yet he is a quality defender thanks to his low center of gravity and his motor. Sheppard has to evolve his game beyond threes and steals, learning how to impact the game on the other end of the floor as well from players who’ve been there and done that.

It doesn’t help matters at all that Sheppard struggled mightily for the Rockets during their six-game series loss against the Lakers. Sheppard shot 31% percent from the field and 29.6% percent from deep during that series, as the Lakers’ elite perimeter defenders hounded him so much which muted his impact — a disaster considering that Houston needed his offense with Durant out.

Of course, it’s important to reiterate that VanVleet is coming off a torn ACL and he’s already 32 years of age. Some rest days might be in order for the Rockets’ presumed starting point guard, which might thrust Sheppard into a starting role timeshare with the veteran.

However, Houston signed Marcus Smart, a Udoka favorite after their time together with the Boston Celtics, and he could end up being the one to draw starts if VanVleet were to take a rest day. Smart has a similar playstyle to VanVleet, an unselfish playmaker, confident three-point shooter, and a tenacious defender, so it makes sense for Udoka to rely on him instead.

But at the end of the day, the Rockets cannot lose sight of how Sheppard figures to be a huge part of their future, and how it is important to give him a bigger role considering the strides he made last season. Sheppard is only filling out his frame, and with the experience he has playing in Houston’s tough defense-first system, perhaps an even bigger breakout season could be in store.

He still looks to be the team’s point guard of the future, but being a point guard can mean other things in today’s NBA apart from being able to initiate offense and assist the ball. According to Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire, Houston is going to use Sheppard in more of an off-ball role, which makes a ton of sense considering his strengths.

Sheppard’s best asset on the court is his three-point shooting, and with VanVleet and Smart on the roster, utilizing him as a movement shooter to stretch defenses appears to be the way to go. And this also feels like a setup for his future role, with him playing off of Sengun and Thompson.

Technically, it’s not just Sheppard who is losing a starting spot for the Rockets. The fifth starter role was a revolving door for Houston last season; Tari Eason and Josh Okogie (who’s now with the Utah Jazz) made 34 and 31 starts, respectively, which are more games than Sheppard started.

Starting Eason could have some merits, especially on defense, but he doesn’t have a refined offensive game, and his best role might be as a tireless hustle guy off the bench whom Houston can bring in if they want to deploy an ultra-switchable lineup.

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