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Reed Sheppard Earns Bigger Rockets Role With Efficient Surge

Support inside the locker room accompanies a measured minutes bump on the NBA’s top-ranked offense.

Overview

  • Sheppard scored a season-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-8 from three, in a blowout win over the Wizards.
  • Across road games in San Antonio and Milwaukee, he shot 12-for-20 overall and 8-for-13 from deep, adding a career-high four steals against the Bucks.
  • He is averaging 22.1 minutes per game early this season, nearly double last year, and has been entering with Steven Adams in the first substitution group.
  • Kevin Durant publicly praised Sheppard’s recent stretch, and Amen Thompson reinforced the team’s green light for him to shoot with a playful postgame warning.
  • Coaches cite improved decision-making and active hands on defense while monitoring his size-related matchup challenges and tendency to gamble in pick-and-rolls.