How Marcus Smart’s Rockets arrival changes Reed Sheppard’s role

The Houston Rockets added a couple of new pieces in the offseason, one of whom was veteran guard Marcus Smart via free agency. The Rockets have a budding young guard on the roster in Reed Sheppard, and with Smart joining the team, Sheppard’s role is going to change a bit, as per Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire.

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka stated that Reed Sheppard is likely to play alongside Marcus Smart quite a bit this season, shifting him to more of an off-ball role while improving his catch-and-shoot ability. The former lottery pick is coming off a solid second season in the league in which he saw his role increased due to the injury to Fred VanVleet.

Sheppard played in all 82 games this past season, including 21 starts, at a little over 26 minutes per game. He averaged a career-best 13.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals with splits of 43 percent shooting from the field, 39.4 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 80.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Both Sheppard and Smart are combo guards who can play either the one or the two, and they figure to be the Rockets’ top guards off the bench.

While Sheppard is entering his third season in the NBA, Smart is coming into his 13th year in the league. He spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards. He played a crucial role, stepping up amid the injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and helping the Lakers win their opening round playoff series against the Rockets no less.