The Houston Rockets have had a rough start to the 2025 NBA Summer League, and their luck didn't improve on Tuesday. A 111-108 overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks saw the Rockets fall to 0-3 on the Las Vegas portion of the summertime action, and the defeat was only made worse by the fact that Houston led by as many as 15 points in the second half.
As Rockets fans watched a third consecutive loss, Reed Sheppard was noticeably absent from the latest defeat. The former 2024 third-overall pick didn't face the Hawks and won't suit up for the Rockets again this offseason because the team has officially shut Sheppard down for the rest of Summer League, according to The Athletic's Kelly Iko.
The Houston Rockets are shutting second-year guard Reed Sheppard down for the remainder of Summer League, sources tell @TheAthletic.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) July 14, 2025
Although Sheppard hasn't exactly been performing like a top-three selection this summer, shutting him down when they did could come back to bite the Rockets.
Rockets Make Big Mistake by Ending Reed Sheppard's Summer League
For starters, there's no denying that Sheppard's 2025 Summer League performance has left much to be desired.
Although the 23.0 points per game that the former Kentucky product averaged in two appearances is impressive at a glance, his shooting 16-of-44 (36.4%) from the floor and 7-of-22 (31.8%) from the three-point line highlight how inefficient he was. He also averaged 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 steals, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks; however, it wasn't enough to make fans forget about his lackluster offensive showing.
Sheppard's inefficient performances come after he struggled to sink the ball during his rookie season. The 21-year-old guard shot 35.1% from the field and 33.8% from distance last season, all while averaging 4.4 PPG and scoring double-digit points in only six of his 52 appearances.
With how poorly Sheppard was shooting the ball this month, it would've made more sense for the Rockets to let him play out his struggles. The London, KY native can't regain his confidence if he isn't on the floor, and prematurely ending his Summer League run could do him more harm than good. Now, he's going to enter training camp with his poor shooting performance being the last thing fans remember.
Los Angeles Lakers wing Dalton Knecht is another 2024 first-rounder who's struggled in the Las Vegas Summer League. The difference here is that the Lakers are keeping Knecht in their lineup with the hope that something will light a fire under him, whereas the Rockets are comfortable icing out their third-overall investment when he needs opportunities to break out of his funk now more than ever.
If the Rockets shutting him down is a sign of faith in him, hopefully Sheppard capitalizes on the situation and plays to his potential next season. At the same time, there's a chance that benching him was the wrong call, and it likely won't take long into the 2025-26 campaign to realize that.
Either way, Sheppard will need a strong start to the NBA regular season if he wants to remain a fixture in the Rockets' long-term plans.