After the series of savvy moves by GM Rafael Stone over the summer, the Houston Rockets are no longer a young, up-and-coming team. They are a serious championship contender.
With contender status comes heightened expectations. This means that the Rockets don't have the luxury to wait around for their young players to develop or give them minutes just because the franchise has invested resources in them.
That is why the franchise was ready to part ways with Cam Whitmore this offseason, and other young players can follow the same path if they aren't contributing when the season kicks off in October.
Reed Sheppard Doesn't Have Much Time Left to Prove He's Not a Bust
At the top of that list is obviously Reed Sheppard. The third-overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft came to the league following a ridiculously efficient, all-around season at Kentucky. His shooting splits of 53.6/52.1/83.1, on his way to average 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists per game, while adding 2.5 steals and 0.7 blocks per game, were enough to excite Rockets fans for what was to come.
Sheppard's rookie season, however, was far from meeting expectations. He didn't have the opportunities he was looking for, but he was also not impressive in the limited playing time he got. The shot wasn't falling for him as he only hit 35.7% of his field goal attempts. His Summer League this year was similarly uneven, as he flashed a ton of intrigue, but wasn't efficient enough offensively.
The Rockets clearly have faith in the 21-year-old guard as they refused to make any additions to the backcourt. They will let him earn a role as Fred VanVleet's backup to begin the season. Yet, due to Houston's title aspirations, he will undoubtedly be on a short leash. If he isn't contributing right away, head coach Ime Udoka will surely not be too patient with him, as the loaded Western Conference will not allow any team to mess around during the regular season.
This would be a disastrous outcome for any No. 3 overall pick. This would label him as a potential draft bust and make it difficult for the Rockets to receive an appropriate return for him in a trade. Let's hope that is not the case and Rockets fans get to watch Sheppard be a dynamic playmaker in Houston for years to come.