Can Reed Sheppard Earn a Rotation Spot in Houston Rockets 2025 Summer League?

Can Reed Sheppard Earn a Rotation Spot in Houston Rockets 2025 Summer League?

a team called about you, but we’re not trading you. Like, you’re good. You’re untouchable. Like, did you hear that verbatim? Uh, no, not really. Um, all right. So, I’m telling you. No, now you get to break that news. That’s why he’s smiling. See, this is I mean, I want that that moniker, right? You’re you are untouchable as a player. Reed Shepard was on the ESPN set discussing his a lot of things, but what came up was how the Rockets see him. He wasn’t in the Kevin Durant trade discussions. Maybe the Suns asked for him, but the Rockets said he was off limits. He He along with Aman Thompson are probably their top two young assets. Tares is right there with them. At least maybe maybe a close third behind Reed Shepard, but Reed Shepard wasn’t going to be traded, at least not for Kevin Durant. Here’s Sham Shirania, maybe Malikica Andrews as well, talking to Reed Shepard about how highly the Rockets hold him. This off season, teams inquire with the Rockets, ask about you. The Suns, I I was told, asked about you. You were made untouchable in those conversations. So, what do you feel when you hear that? What kind of motivation does it give you? How do you feel just about where you stand right now? Yeah, I think it’s I think it’s really cool. Um, you know, for me, this is my first year dealing with all the offseason, the trades. Um, so it’s kind of crazy seeing seeing all of it go down. Um, but like you said, hearing some of that stuff is is pretty cool. It gives me a lot of confidence. Um, just going into the gym, uh, continue to work on everything I’ve been working on this summer. Um, just getting better and just really looking forward to the season and trying to help as much as I can. Is that something like the GM tells you like, “Hey, listen.” Like a team called about you, but we’re not trading you. Like you’re good. You’re untouchable. Like, did you hear that verbatim? Uh, no, not really. Um, all right. So, I’m telling you. No. Now, you get to break that news. That’s why he’s smiling. See, this is I mean, I want that moniker, right? You’re you are untouchable as a player. There’s a joke about Dave McMinnon I would make, but I won’t. Um, if you know, you know. All right. So Reed Shepard untouchable in the Kevin Durant trade. Reed Shepard probably untouchable when it comes to other players. He I don’t think he is untouchable period. That might only be for Ahmed Thompson as far as Rockets assets. But I’m sure it’s good to know for Reed that he has a level of stability. Now he’s just got to go out there and reward the Rockets faith. It it kind of starts with summer league. Look, we know at least last year he was too good for summer league. We will uh we will see if that remains the case and if that can translate to the season because lack of guard depth means reacher has a real chance. So all all I’m looking for is if they’re going to give him on ball reps and be to be the point guard. Let’s see that. I know he can come off a screen and knock down a mid-range jumper, but can he can he facilitate can he organize an offense? I am interested to see what the Rocket’s plan for him is in this summer league. I know he can shoot. I know if you give him an o open look, he can make it. But do they lean into the point guard stuff or do they want him to be more combo guard or lead guard and still look for his offense on a consistent basis? Or is it a chance for him to just be a pass first guy when the when the moments dictate it so he can uh so he can he can let him know I got this in my bag too? I I would like to see some scoring in the in summer league because you have to remember when he got sent to the GLeague uh early last season just immediately it was 40 points a game in the G-League and I do need to see a little bit of maybe not 40 points a game but I need to see the scoring output against what is essentially G-League competition. Probably probably a little bit worse than G-League competition. maybe a little bit better. Kind of depends on which summer league team you’re playing, whether they have a lot of rookies that are on the team that will be in the in the NBA soon. But I I think that you need to see a little bit of the scoring from Reed Shepard. I I agree with you. in the regular season, his role is probably going to be a little bit more facilitation and just running the offense uh on a second unit. But here, like, dude, you need to you need to kill these guys. Like, you kind of need to I don’t know. I just know dominate the game. I don’t I won’t think less of him if he’s like got if he’s having bad shooting nights. Just sometimes that’s the that’s the nature of the game. I feel like I know that the shooting is not like a skill that we’re like, let’s see how the shooting works out. Yeah, it’s because it’s shooting. Maybe shooting was the reason he didn’t get on the floor more last year because they needed that aspect from him if he wasn’t going to give it to him. His inability to really hold it defensively. They couldn’t have both of those things going on. You’re not going too small currently to hold it defensively and you’re not going to knock down shots. Come sit with us unless Fred is hurt and we start you in a random game. But if we’re if we’re talking about what he can what he can bring to the roster that really doesn’t really exist unless you just want to lean it heavy into Aaron Holidayiday backup guard minutes is for 15 to 20 minutes that maybe you don’t maybe Fred’s not on the floor or at least Fred doesn’t always have to be the primary ball handler. Can Reed Shepard handle some of those responsibilities and not just be a guy who is a black hole and once he gets the ball, he’s he’s going to get a ball screen and rise up and fire. I was talking about in the summer league. He No, even still, I I get buckets. No, I I know what you’re saying. But I know he can get buckets in the summer league. I don’t like if he does it, cool. It’s great for It’s great for the great for the social media stuff. It’s great for the highlight packages. It’s great for the clips. Um and if I ran the Rocket social media account, I would love for Reed Shepard to get up Shepard Muse right here. Yeah. Okay. If that is your account, credit to you. You’re going to need Reed Shepard to get up shots and knock him down. But for what this team needs from him, yeah, he’s going to have to knock down shots in the regular season. But I do want to see if there’s some added things to his skill set. And also, is he a guy who if he is tasked with guarding bigger guys this in in the summer league? Is is that not going to be a concern? Obviously, the level of competition will will rise and the bigger guys in the in the NBA will be will be, you know, everyday NBA players, not these guys trying to make it in the summer league. But I know he can shoot. I believe that’s a skill set that’s not going to leave him. The other things it’s more fun if he scores. Yes, I’m going to acknowledge that. And and there’s a little bit of I forgot I forgot who pointed this out. It might have been Reed Shepard who pointed it out, but that he basically had never because he wasn’t like some, no doubt about it, like obviously going to be a oneanddone NBA like future NBA player while he was in high school. And even when he committed to Kentucky, like he thought he was going to be at Kentucky for a few years that he never was like the guy on a team that just takes every shot. like he never had the like, you know, the high school version. He didn’t play as the high school version of James Harden growing up. Like he wasn’t the guy who was just like I we will win the state title just because I shoot every time down the court. And so when he got to Kentucky, that was like hard for him to be to look around and be like, “Oh, I actually need to like scale. I’m actually one of the better players on this team. I this team needs me to to score.” And same thing when he uh went to the G- League, it was like a hey dude, you’re actually gonna have to put up shots in the G- League. You are the best player on this court. So that’s more of like I want to see a little bit of aggression and a little bit of like hey I will just hunt shots a little bit if the shot is there cuz he’s going to need to do that cuz he’s going to be the best shooter on the team on the G on the summer league team or the uh well I guess other than Durant on the NBA team. I was like hold on I I don’t think they acquired a Hall of Famer but to your point yes. Uh, as far as guys who were there last year, yeah, he remains at least reputationally their their best shooter who’s returning and now uh second behind Durant. So, yes, if he’s going to gain a spot in their rotation, he’s going to have to knock down shots, but I guess depending on the combinations, how often will they be leaning on him uh to do that? If if Kevin Rants on the floor with him quite a bit. Yeah. If if Aman Thompson who’ll take some on ball reps is on the floor, Rude Shepard could play off ball and then that’s when you you would expect some shots to go up from him because Aman as good as he is sometimes when they spread the floor and allow him to go one-on-one, the the shot needs work. We’ll see what he looks like when he comes back for his uh what his third season

What do the Houston Rockets really think of Reed Sheppard?
As Summer League approaches, we’re diving into how the Rockets view the rookie guard — and what he needs to prove to earn a spot in the rotation this season.

Despite not being involved in the Kevin Durant trade, Reed Sheppard has been called “untouchable” by some inside the organization. He’s already shown flashes in the G-League, but now it’s about proving he can bring that same impact at the NBA level.

With his reputation as one of the best shooters on the team, the question becomes:
📈 Can he show more aggression?
🎯 Can he consistently knock down shots under pressure?
💪 And can he carve out a role in a crowded backcourt?

We break down what Sheppard has shown so far, what the Rockets expect from him, and what fans should watch for during Summer League.

💬 Let us know in the comments: What does Reed Sheppard need to prove to you this summer?

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