The Rockets prospect is already a qualified sixth man. He should be able to enter the starting lineup soon?

In the previous NBA regular season, the Houston Rockets almost defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers at home 114-104. After this game, the Rockets, who had won 5 consecutive victories, improved their record to 10 wins and 3 losses, and their ranking also rose to second place in the Western Conference. The Cavaliers' record, which ended their two-game losing streak, dropped to 10 wins and 6 losses, and their ranking was overtaken by the Toronto Raptors and fell to third place in the Eastern Conference.

In this game, the Rockets' backup point guard Reed Sheppard maintained his good form in recent times. Shepard played 22 minutes and 56 seconds, making 5 of 11 shots and 2 of 5 from beyond the three-point line. He scored 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. He also had 4 fouls and a plus-minus of +7. Shepard still showed comprehensive scoring ability on the offensive end. He also played a very good role and scored a lot of points. Sheppard's own defensive ability is relatively average, but at least he works hard, his stealing ability is also good, and his shortcomings in movement speed have not been exposed. Overall, Sheppard still achieved the desired effect. He also successfully played the role of the sixth man and helped the team's second team stabilize the situation. His good performance also made a big contribution to the team's victory.

In the NBA regular season last season, Shepard played a total of 52 times in 82 games, averaging 12.6 minutes per game. He averaged 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game. He also had 0.7 turnovers and 1 foul. He shot 35.1% from the field, 33.8% from the three-point range, and 81.3% from the free throw line. In the playoffs, Sheppard only got a total of 3 playing opportunities, averaging only 3.3 minutes per game, averaging 0 points, 0.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game. He also had 0.3 turnovers and 0.3 fouls. He shot 0% from the field and 0% from the three-point range. Since the start of this season, Shepard has averaged 22.9 minutes per game in the first 13 games, averaging 12.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. He also has 1.2 turnovers and 2.2 fouls. He has shot 48.8% from the field, 47.3% from the three-point range, and 66.7% from the free throw line.

Shepard has completed a complete transformation this season. The overall pick in last year's NBA draft had a disastrous performance last season. He did nothing on both offense and defense, and his performance was criticized by everyone. Unexpectedly, this season, the situation has completely changed. Due to the early retirement of Fred VanVleet for the season, the Rockets had to use Shepard for a long time. This kind of trust also allowed Shepard to gradually find his own form and game feeling, and his effect on the court has also been significantly improved. Today Shepard already looks like a pretty good sixth man, and judging from the current situation of the Rockets, considering the limited space in the team's starting lineup, maybe he will enter the team's starting lineup soon.