As the Houston Rockets look to rebound from the devastating loss of starting point guard Fred VanVleet, it is almost certain that second-year guard Reed Sheppard, who was largely left out of the rotation last season, will be asked to take on a massive role.
Yet, with his defensive setbacks and developing perimeter shot, what is best for Sheppard is to be ingratiated slowly into the Rockets' young core, and, since the team now cannot afford to do that, they are putting Sheppard in an exceedingly difficult position this season to succeed.
On the one hand, if Sheppard can figure out his 3-point shot and be an effective passer, the team may have unlocked its next integral player.