The Steps To Success For Reed Sheppard

The Rockets’ rookie will have to take these steps to find success in Houston.

Jul 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) and Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (12) await a free throw attempt during the second quarter at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

There’s no NBA player quite like Reed Sheppard. Standing at under 6-foot-2, he’s the size of a small guard. However, his skillset, highlighted by his three-point marksmanship and defensive playmaking mirrors that of a wing.

This mix has typically been an unproductive NBA role, for small guards are most valued for their ball-handling skills and size is highly coveted on the wing. Still, Sheppard puts his own twist on this archetype. He has lots of work in front of him to overcome the confines of this mold, but with the correct development, he can bring the best of both worlds as both a wing and a guard, rather than being trapped between the two positions.

First, Sheppard will have to improve his on-ball defense. This will be an uphill battle given his small stature, and his potential is surely capped in this department, but with improvements to his screen navigation and strength, he can become passable. It will take time, but the difference between being a defensive target and a passable positional defender could make or break Sheppard’s career. In the meantime, he's disruptive and can force turnovers on that end.

Further, Sheppard will have to become a reliable advantage creator in one way or another. He isn’t the most dynamic handler nor a productive two-point scorer at this point, but he does have a base of smarts and shooting touch to build off of. Whether that be as a pick-and-roll maestro or pull-up shooting dynamo, Sheppard will have to find a way to consistently compromise defenses as a ball-handler.

While it would be ambitious to expect Sheppard to develop into an NBA-caliber point guard as a rookie, it’s instrumental that he takes a big step in this direction in year one. Past this, he can sharpen his surrounding skills to truly become a playoff-caliber ball handler.

As a premier prospect for Houston, Sheppard has lots of time and a positive infrastructure to develop into a franchise piece.

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