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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.”
The Rockets have been bad enough at closing out games with Durant this season. Not having him out there made it even more difficult to close the game out the way they should have. “Obviously, it’s different when he’s not on the floor. He’s a tremendous scorer. He can draw so much attention to himself when he’s out there,” Sheppard said. “It sucks not having him out there. But at the end of the day, it’s our job to go out there and fight and compete and win. That’s what we’ve got to do in the next four (games).”
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Matt Young: Reed Sheppard on his costly turnover that allowed the Lakers to send the game to overtime: "It was a stupid turnover. Alpi’s (Alperen Sengun) man came up, I should have hit Alpi and just made the simple play, but I tried to split the two defenders."
Shams Charania: With Kevin Durant sidelined, the Rockets are expected to utilize the second-youngest starting lineup in NBA playoff history -- their homegrown core of Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun.
Mike Trudell: Ime Udoka said Kevin Durant is a game-time decision with his ankle. It happened during Game 2. He played through it and finished the game, but the swelling increased afterwards. If he doesn’t play, Reed Sheppard would start.
