The Rockets stayed quiet at the trade deadline. Why Reed Sheppard can’t afford to

The Houston Rockets opted to stand pat at the trade deadline, despite some glaring needs created by injuries to Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams, and their ongoing lack of outside shooting.

They seemed to have some solutions available, too. Kevin Durant’s former teammate, Tyus Jones (a 40% 3-point shooter over the previous four seasons), Luke Kennard (44% career 3-point shooter), and veteran point guard Jose Alvarado were all moved this past week. But none, however, landed in Houston.

So while general manager Rafael Stone commented this past week that his Rockets “aren’t a developmental team,” they may now have little choice but to lean into developing their second-year guard Reed Sheppard.

The Kentucky product might be Houston’s best, and perhaps only, chance to get the perimeter shooting they need.

The problem is, Sheppard has gone as cold as his teammates of late. He’s shooting just 31% from the field over his last nine games, including a rough 20% from beyond the arc.

Still, head coach Ime Udoka remains confident.

The Rockets’ head coach called Sheppard a “great shooter” and said he will “shoot himself out” of this slump.

But can it still be called a ‘slump’? Zoom out even further, and Sheppard is shooting only 38% from the field over his last 33 games – a large enough sample size to raise some real concern.

While Stone believes the Rockets’ championship window limits their ability to spend time developing a young player like Sheppard, Houston might be best served by finding a middle ground. Without adding any help from the outside, they’ll have to create it internally.

However, Sheppard is still averaging just 24 minutes per game this season, a number that has dipped even further over the past month. There was a game last month where Sheppard scored 14 points to help force overtime against the Philadelphia 76ers, only for the guard to never see the floor at all in the extra period.

That came just one game after Sheppard scored 12 fourth-quarter points to help the Rockets erase a deficit in a come-from-behind victory over the San Antonio Spurs, making his late-game usage even more puzzling.

If Udoka believes Sheppard can shoot out of this “slump,” then he needs to be given the opportunity.

Houston is currently attempting the second fewest three-pointers in the league, while also scoring the second fewest points over their last 15 games. And while they didn’t get that boost from the deadline, they could get it from empowering their young shooter.

It would also help with spacing, too. Two of Houston’s three best players, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, are non-shooters, which has allowed defenses to sag off on the perimeter and pack the paint of late. Sheppard‘s shooting could be the key that unlocks the Rockets’ preferred spacing.

Durant even acknowledged this, saying that Sheppard could “turn us into a different team” when he plays “aggressively and knocks down shots.”

“I feel that’s what [Sheppard’s] role is starting to turn into,” Durant said. “A guy that can handle, that can come off and shoot threes, that can get us going. It’s a spark plug for us.”

And now, that role needs to become even bigger.

Especially without Adams and his elite offensive rebounding ability. Without it, the Rockets have fewer second-chance opportunities and need to be even more efficient on the offensive end.

“Reed brings another dynamic, no doubt,” Udoka said. “We want him to shoot [those walk-in threes] every time, be aggressive… I think it opens things up for us.”

But Sheppard knows he has shortcomings.

“I can’t just be a one-way player,” Sheppard admitted. “I can’t just be an offensive threat. I have to be able to guard and help the team defensively as well.”

Especially when playing for a defensive coach like Udoka. But Sheppard’s shooting is so badly needed that the Rockets may have to live with some growing pains to find ways to keep him on the floor.

While this may not be a developmental team, this development might be the Rockets’ most important key down the stretch.

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