Lost amidst all of the success of the Rockets' 52-win season was their #3 pick, Reed Sheppard. Sheppard saw the court for just 544 minutes this season. For reference, Jalen Green played almost 2200 minutes in his rookie year in 21-22.
Granted, the Rockets were much worse that season, but that is still a massive gap in playing time between #2 pick Green and #3 overall pick Sheppard. Looking back at the recent history of third-overall picks, we see Scoot Henderson at 1745 minutes, Jabari Smith at 2400 minutes, Evan Mobley at 2300 minutes, LaMelo Ball at 1455 minutes, and RJ Barrett at 1700 minutes. Clearly, Sheppard's minutes at just 544 are an extreme outlier for a third-overall pick.
Rockets Can't Give Up on Reed Sheppard Just Yet
Now, many will be quick to protest that the Rockets were too good a team to sacrifice minutes for Reed Sheppard. This argument has some merit, but Ime Udoka certainly could have done a better job of finding some time for Reed Sheppard, especially given how awful this Rockets offense looked during some stretches of the season. I'd argue that Udoka could have balanced competing with development more this season.
Regardless, Reed Sheppard showed flashes of what he was drafted for in his extremely limited minutes. He also happens to address exactly what they need to improve as a contender, as he is an elite spacer who takes care of the ball. He didn't earn the minutes to showcase that talent consistently, but there is no reason to doubt his ability to be a high-level NBA shooter, given what we have seen from him.
Reed likely lost playing time due to concerns with his frame holding up defensively. This offseason will be pivotal for Reed to put on more muscle so that he isn't hunted by the opposing offense whenever he sets foot on the court. I'd remind Rocket fans that Reed Sheppard actually ranked top-ten in the NCAA in steals per game, averaging 2.5 steals per game while coming off the bench at Kentucky. That translated to a steal rate of 4.6% (Marcus Smart was at 5.2% in college). Those are impressive numbers that signal he isn't just a cone on defense despite his physical appearance.
Reed's shooting, playmaking, and IQ are exactly what this team needs for their halfcourt offense to complement their two core pieces, who both can't shoot from the perimeter in
Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson. Reed is under contract for another three years, so if he develops into a contributor, he could be a low-cost solution to their offensive issues. Giving up on Reed Sheppard after one year, where he had virtually no opportunity to play real minutes, does not make sense for this team unless they are getting a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo.