After three profitable video games with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (RGV), Houston’s developmental affiliate within the NBA G League, rookie guard Reed Sheppard was known as as much as the Rockets on Sunday.
This choice seems to be influenced, a minimum of partially, by timing and logistics. Beginning Monday, the Rockets will open a busy stretch of their schedule with three video games in three completely different cities over 4 nights, together with back-to-back video games in Denver and Sacramento on Wednesday and Thursday. So, bringing further depth to the roster might be vital.
In the meantime, after Saturday’s recreation, RGV will not play once more till a highway recreation Friday towards the Austin Spurs. So, it will appear believable that Sheppard would be a part of the Vipers at that time – though Udoka has but to verify if that may be the case.
In three video games with the Vipers, Sheppard averaged 30.7 factors (46.3% FG, 40.5% 3-point vary), 8.0 assists, 4.7 rebounds and a pair of.7 steals in 35, 5 minutes per match. The Vipers have gained two of their three video games with Sheppard, with each victories coming by spectacular double-digit margins.
Recognized greatest for his 3-point taking pictures capability, Sheppard was drafted by the Rockets third total within the first spherical of 2024. Nevertheless, the 6-foot-2, 20-year-old guard solely performed with parsimony as a rookie in Houston (25-12), which has probably the greatest information within the NBA. With the clear deal with profitable now, this has made it harder for head coach Ime Udoka and the Rockets to allocate minutes for developmental functions.
So, not like different high-profile rookies who begin or play a rotation function on rebuilding groups, the Rockets needed to look to their G League affiliate to provide Sheppard these developmental alternatives. We’ll discover out later this week if Houston thinks it wants extra at this stage, with Udoka saying throughout Sunday’s observe that it is “to be decided.”
Extra: In G League debut, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard drops 49 factors on sharpshooting
This text was initially printed on Rockets Wire: After a strong stint within the G League, the Rockets recall rookie guard Reed Sheppard
