More Reed Sheppard, says Yahoo's Kevin O'Connor

Like Kentucky fans last season, Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor wants to see more Reed Sheppard. The NBA beat writer penned a new Yahoo! piece, making lineup suggestions for four NBA franchises. Among them was the Houston Rockets and how Sheppard should have a bigger role in the backcourt, a message we can all get behind.

O’Connor thinks Sheppard should get some of Fred VanVleet’s minutes, citing VanVleet’s unimpressive numbers as the Rockets’ leader in time spent on the floor:

Fred VanVleet leads the Rockets in minutes at 37.6, but his performance has been underwhelming. He’s averaging just 13.3 points on 13.1 shots per game, shooting a dismal 41.2% from 2 and 27.6% from 3. FVV will have better nights ahead of him. But he shouldn’t be playing so often when the Rockets just invested the 3rd overall pick into Reed Sheppard, who plays the same position. Sheppard is playing only 9.3 minutes per game.

It’s time to redistribute playing time. By reducing VanVleet’s minutes to a still-respectable 30 per game, Sheppard could see 16-20 minutes on the floor. This is a reasonable balance, especially considering Sheppard’s shooting, passing instincts and defensive playmaking could immediately benefit the Rockets.

Yahoo!

Houston hosts San Antonio on Wednesday night at 8:00, the same San Antonio that drafted one spot behind Houston in the 2024 NBA Draft. It’d be a good time for the Rockets to show off the new shiny toy that the Spurs might’ve taken at fourth had Sheppard not gone third to Houston.

So far, Sheppard has played more than 10 minutes only three times, including Monday night’s win over New York. Sheppard had seven points and two rebounds, hitting three of eight shots from the field with no turnovers in the victory.

You’ll need NBA League Pass to see the opportunity Sheppards gets tonight against the Spurs. We’ll let you know how it goes.