Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets
Heading into the 2024 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets had plenty of options with the No. 3 overall pick. They could've gone a number of ways, including the potential to trade the pick. In the end, the Rockets decided they wanted to draft Reed Sheppard. At the time, it was difficult to push back on that idea. After all, he was one of the fastest-rising prospects and during his time in the NBA Summer League, he looked like the best player on the floor. However, at least so far this season, he hasn't been able to show as much promise.
Sheppard has played in almost every game so far this season for the Rockets but is averaging less than 12 minutes per contest and he's been pretty inefficient. Sheppard is averaging four points on 36 percent shooting from the field and 30 percent shooting from 3-point range. In fairness, it could be difficult to find a shooting rhythm when only played a handful of minutes per game. At the same time, it's completely understandable to be concerned or underwhelmed with how he's looked so far this season.
What to expect from Reed Sheppard down the stretch?
As the young Rockets continue to soar, I'm not sure if it's fair to expect much change from Sheppard down the stretch. The more time and experience he gets, the better he's going to be. However, with how much young talent the team already has on their roster, it's hard to envision how Sheppard is going to get a bigger role this season unless there's a trade that takes place at some point. At least for now, that seems unlikely.
Still, Sheppard has been quite the tease for the Rockets' fan base. As a player that perhaps many expected was going to have a bigger role this season and perhaps find himself in the running to win the NBA's Rookie of the Year award, it simply hasn't panned out that way so far this season for Sheppard. Could things change down the stretch? Absolutely. But I think it's much more fair to expect a jump in his development during his sophomore season than it is to expect one during the second half of his rookie season.