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Kevin Durant missed Game 1 suddenly, then he missed the rest of the series after his lone appearance in Game 2 because of an ankle sprain. The Rockets won two games without their superstar, but the team was entirely too dependent on him, which made winning the series too tall of a mountain to climb. Houston had a good year with Durant in the mix—earning the fifth seed in the Western Conference and falling just two games shy of No. 3. But the Rockets were “way too reliant” on Durant, an anonymous NBA scout told Sports Illustrated. The good news is that reinforcements are coming. “Getting Fred VanVleet back will be big,” the scout said. “He's going to be better than Reed Sheppard was last year. Not that Sheppard was that bad, but, Fred's a better creator. He's a better paint threat guy off the dribble. He may not be a better catch-and-shoot three-point shooter, but he's more adept at getting it off in the pick-and-roll. So they have a couple guys that can set screens, especially if Steven Adams is healthy. So I think he'll be a weapon for them that they didn't have.”
Matt Young: The Rockets’ Reed Sheppard showed up today with long hair and some facial hair but isn’t ready to call it a new look: “We’ll see what happens if the hair stays long or whatever. I’ve just been in the gym working so I haven’t really thought much about it.”
VanVleet exercised his $25 million player option for next season, which is also the final year of his two-year contract. The Rockets also signed veteran guards Marcus Smart and Bojan Bogdanovic for insurance and depth. Those three guards will allow Thompson and sharpshooter Reed Sheppard to play off the ball more. VanVleet has been working out daily and is close to being on “the court full time, ramping up, feeling good.” He also told Andscape he is confident he will be ready to play in the Rockets’ first preseason game next season, and he “feels like a rookie again.”
ClutchFans: Rockets GM Rafael Stone NBA Summer League interview: - Really likes rookie Bruce Thornton - the unique build, physicality, shotmaking and ability to take care of the ball. Test will be if he can translate that to the next level. - Very excited about Marcus Smart's versatility. "Feels like a Rocket so I'm glad we could finally make it happen." He says he's happy with him defending any position, including at center. - Loves the defensive switchability options the Rockets now have with Smart, Jabari, Tari and Amen. - Wants to take the minutes load off of Kevin Durant this season. - Says Reed Sheppard has "put on a ton of good weight, a bunch of muscle."
Varun Shankar: Rafael Stone spoke to media for ~8 minutes. Couple big takeaways - As of right now, everyone is on track to be a full go at training camp - Wanted to add more ballhandling/passing, felt like they did that w Bogi and Smart - Guesstimated that Reed Sheppard added ~10 pounds
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Varun Shankar: Rafael Stone, asked if Reed Sheppard is Houston's starting point guard down the road. "My expectation for him is he should be. I think he should be a really good one. I think that's his expectation for himself as well."
Varun Shankar: Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka both say this team should have won more games. Stone called the season frustrating. Didn't say firmly if team would make big moves but said even if HOU doesn't, expects growth from young players (mentioned Tari Eason, Jabari Smith, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard) to lead to addnl success.
As fondly as they still regarded Harden, there was a wariness about how he would affect the development of Sengun, Sheppard and Thompson. "We're not really looking for a heliocentric player, as great as James still is," one team source said. "We want to develop Reed, we want to develop Amen and we want the ball in Alpy's hands." As another said, "We weren't going to put the ball in [Harden's] hands, so why would you trade for James if you're not going to give him the ball?"
Internally, there's a belief Sheppard has the potential to develop into an all-time great, such as former Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash, if given enough time and the right conditions. Externally, there is less of a consensus on Sheppard. "More like Steve Kerr," a rival scout quipped, when asked about the Nash projection, envisioning Sheppard as an undersized, reserve 2-guard instead of a pure point guard who could serve as an offensive engine.
VanVleet was supposed to buy Sheppard more time. But ultimately, the Rockets believe Sheppard has the right temperament to grow from the ups and downs of this season. "He just flashes so much greatness you can't teach," a team source said. "From Steve Nash to Steph Curry, none of those little guards play great their first few years. We're still big believers in Reed."
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Varun Shankar: The Rockets force Game 6 with a gritty 99-93 win over the Lakers. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points to lead Houston. LeBron James all scorers with 25 points but went 9-for-20 from the field. The Lakers shot just 42.1% from the field and 25.9% from three.
Lachard Binkley: The Rockets seem to go to another level when Alperen makes big defensive plays, whether it's a big block or a steal. I asked Alperen how much energy that give him and the team. “ I would say when me and Reed when we have big possessions like that everybody gets hyped and that is what we need.”
On March 22, Reed Sheppard came up big once again. After a rally by the Miami Heat to take a lead, he hit a floater with 12.7 seconds left to give Houston a 3-point lead to help the Rockets eventually win 123-122. Sheppard had 23 points, 14 assists, and no turnovers in 37 minutes. With that performance, he became the youngest player in Rockets history with at least 20 points, 10 assists and no turnovers in a game (21 years, 170 days). “We put it in his hands a ton,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said after the game. “You know, they went zone a lot, so he’s gonna get some of those open looks, but also delivered the ball well.
Lachard Binkley: Reed was asked if youth or lack experience played a part in his late turnover “No I have played basketball long enough. Dribbling up the court with 30 seconds is dribbling up the court with 30 seconds.”
