As the Houston Rockets head into the 2025-26 NBA season, the devastating injury to starting point guard Fred VanVleet means that there is now a healthy amount of uncertainty regarding the role of second-year guard Reed Sheppard.
While he did not make much of an impact on the rotation in his rookie season, a major leap forward would be huge for the team, and, in his Media Day interview, emerging star Amen Thompson has indicated his faith in Sheppard's ability to take that leap.
Although the team is in somewhat dire straits in VanVleet's absence, Thompson and Sheppard have about as high a ceiling as one could ask for in this situation, and Thompson's confidence should calm some of the anxieties surrounding this team as they enter training camp.