When the Houston Rockets stunned the league this summer by swinging a blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant, the headlines naturally centered on the future Hall of Famer’s arrival. But tucked inside the fallout of that deal, and compounded by Fred VanVleet’s devastating ACL tear, lies one of the biggest opportunities of the young NBA season: Reed Sheppard’s sudden path to major minutes.
From sparse rookie minutes to center stage
Sheppard’s rookie campaign was uneven. He appeared in 52 games but logged just 12.6 minutes per night, averaging 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting a modest 35.