Reed Sheppard hasn’t quite had the rookie season that Kentucky fans were hoping for, but every time he is given an opportunity to play, he does something impressive.
That was no different on Wednesday night when the Houston Rockets took on the Utah Jazz. The Rockets took down the Jazz 143-105, and Sheppard got in to play late in the game.
Sheppard played nine minutes in this game, where he went 5-7 from three scoring 15 points. In just these nine minutes, Sheppard also pulled down three rebounds and dished two assists.
These 15 points and five made threes made Sheppard only the fourth player in NBA history to put up these numbers in under ten minutes played.
It has been a bit frustrating that Sheppard hasn’t gotten more minutes for the Rockets, but they have exceeded expectations this season, so if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it has to be the mentality of the coaching staff.
The Rockets are going to be in the playoffs this season, so it would be exciting for Kentucky fans to see the Kentucky native Sheppard take the floor in the NBA playoffs.
While Sheppard hasn’t gotten a ton of playing time this season, he is, without question, still a big part of the future plans for the Rockets franchise.
There are some veterans playing ahead of Sheppard, but aside from some veterans, this is a young Rockets team. Sheppard is going to be a part of this young core that will make the Rockets one of the best teams in the NBA for a long time.
