Thompson rolled his right ankle at the end of Monday\u2019s win, so Sheppard\u2019s time with the starting unit might not be over yet. Still, some are questioning why Sheppard\u2019s recent play hasn\u2019t made it clear that he needs to become a featured part of Houston\u2019s offense rather than just a heat-check player off the bench.<\/p>\n
But the concern isn\u2019t about the young guard\u2019s play. It\u2019s that the coaching staff may not allow him to play enough once other options are available.<\/p>\n
Considering the growth he\u2019s shown lately and the clear holes in half-court offense that have doomed this team repeatedly, it may not be far-fetched to say Sheppard swings the Rockets\u2019 title hopes more than anyone on the roster not named Kevin Durant and Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou live with some (mistakes), but you want to see growth and progress in certain areas,\u201d Udoka said last month when asked about Sheppard\u2019s minutes. \u201c(His) playing time will be based on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The patience extended to young players as they experience growing pains is almost always more generous among fans than it is with coaches. Udoka, in particular, is known for constantly pushing his players to maintain a physical, defense-first mindset.\u00a0Throughout his three-year tenure in Houston, his message to his young core has been consistent: If you don\u2019t guard, you don\u2019t play.<\/p>\n
While Sheppard has experienced some impressive highs during his second NBA season, there have been some ugly moments when defense becomes an issue for the Rockets. While his outside shooting is desperately needed on this team most nights, his issues as an on-ball defender and as a smaller player who teams attack in certain matchups have been a problem.<\/p>\n
Udoka, despite some of the outside noise, hasn\u2019t hesitated to sit Sheppard during crucial parts of certain games if he feels like his young point guard isn\u2019t rising to the occasion on defense.\u00a0Perhaps some of that tough love early in the season has played a role in Sheppard performing at the level he has recently.<\/p>\n
Regardless, the playoffs are a little more than six weeks away, and the Rockets must find new ways to keep up with the elite in the Western Conference, because the bully ball that worked so well for them much of the season is no longer an option with Steven Adams out for the rest of the season following ankle surgery.<\/p>\n
While Adams only averaged 22.8 minutes per game this year, his absence has exposed some of the weaknesses that have hurt Houston all season.\u00a0Before Adams was injured on Jan. 18, the Rockets were No. 3 in offensive rating and on pace to be the greatest offensive rebounding team in NBA history. Houston\u2019s once-elite offense is No. 18 in offensive rating since Adams\u2019 injury, and its execution in half-court situations has been downright putrid at times. Life hasn\u2019t been as easy without those extra opportunities, which is putting\u00a0more pressure on Durant and \u015eeng\u00fcn to make something out of nothing while attracting multiple defenders.<\/p>\n
Having Sheppard on the court not only adds to the spacing around the Rockets\u2019 All-Stars. Sheppard has also developed as an on-ball creator who can get downhill in the pick-and-roll and make plays. To add, he\u2019s a jitterbug who runs around screens and draws attention even when he doesn\u2019t have the ball.<\/p>\n
Having that additional scoring option makes play simpler for Durant and \u015eeng\u00fcn when the offense isn\u2019t so isolation-heavy. Creating something out of nothing has been exhausting for both players at times. Whenever Sheppard heats up with plays off the dribble or splashes 3-pointers from deep, it provides a boost of energy that gives everyone else on the team a pep in their step.<\/p>\n
Although Udoka and the Rockets front office left the summer hoping the mental and physical toughness of Adams and Fred VanVleet would be enough to guide this team across the finish line, it\u2019s time to find some different answers.\u00a0If the Rockets are going to be a below-average offense for the remainder of the season, there\u2019s little chance they make it out of the West against the other teams.<\/p>\n
There may be some bumps along the way, but Sheppard being included more consistently in the starting \u2014 or closing \u2014 lineups at least gives Houston a chance to approach performing at a top-10 level offensively.<\/p>\n
And if Sheppard keeps playing like he did against Washington, the sky is the limit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Reed is aggressive, when he\u2019s playing with confidence, we can be a really dangerous team,\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
\n Reed Sheppard (15) has helped Amen Thompson fall more into his natural role as a cutter and a rebounder on offense. (Kenneth Richmond \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
A major reason why Sheppard\u2019s presence is so important is that he allows some of the other pieces on the roster to fall into their natural roles.\u00a0Thompson has been operating as the primary ballhandler with the starting unit most of the season. But when Sheppard is on the floor, it gives Thompson the freedom to maneuver around the dunker spot, where he\u2019s most dangerous as a cutter or an offensive rebounding threat.<\/p>\n
Per Cleaning The Glass, the Rockets have a plus-6.1 net rating when Durant, Sheppard and Thompson are on the floor together. It doesn\u2019t hurt to get as much time as possible with the starting backcourt of the future together. Having that youth on the floor together helps to speed up a team that gets way too slow at times.\u00a0Having them both on the floor also causes some on-ball chaos for opposing guards<\/a>, because they\u2019re both so good at creating turnovers and getting out in transition.<\/p>\n Playing more pick-and-roll with Sheppard also should allow \u015eeng\u00fcn to operate in more advantageous spots on the floor rather than attacking defenders one-on-one from the top of the key like he so often has this season. \u015eeng\u00fcn is shooting below 50 percent from the field since Jan. 1, which isn\u2019t great for a center, but it will improve if Sheppard helps him get more touches closer to the basket.\u00a0Sheppard and \u015eeng\u00fcn have been seen putting in extra work after practices in recent weeks to improve their chemistry and to give Sheppard a clear vision of how he can get \u015eeng\u00fcn the ball in the right spots.<\/p>\n