Reed Sheppard Predicted to Become Rockets' Fifth Starter

Reed Sheppard entered training camp as the presumed starting point guard for the Houston Rockets, with Amen Thompson expected to be slotted at the shooting guard spot. Granted, the two both expect to be tasked with ballhandling and playmaking duties, with the hope that the duo can combine to duplicate and replicate Fred VanVleet's point guard duties. 

However, Sheppard didn't get the starting nod on opening night, as Rockets coach Ime Udoka decided to stick with his double-big lineup, which he saw success with last season (and this preseason).

But that doesn't necessarily spell doom for Sheppard's chances of seizing the role, as explained by Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey. 

"Last season, Reed Sheppard could barely make it onto the floor. Now, he and Amen Thompson both have a chance to prove themselves capable primary playmakers.

On a team with Alperen Şengün and Kevin Durant, they can probably even get by with both being closer to secondary ones.

What makes Sheppard so interesting in that role is his outside shooting ability. He hit a whopping 52.1 percent of his three-point attempts as a freshman at Kentucky. This preseason, he's at 40.7 percent from deep and averaging 15.0 points in just 23.1 minutes.

He looks ready to assume a Jamal Murray-like role alongside a passing 5. And although he may be in and out of the starting five early in the season, he'll have the spot locked down by the end of 2025-26 (and for the long term)."

It goes without saying that Sheppard will have to take major strides in order to become a starter. At least based on what we saw in the opener.

Sheppard struggled mightily, in just about every facet of the game. He was unable to orchestrate the offense and he wasn't much better on the other end either.

He also failed to get the ball to Kevin Durant in the pivotal moments of the game, which should be relatively easy. 

In fact, Sheppard looked like a G-League player more than anything else.

His calling is supposed to be his outside shot. If nothing else, that should be a relatively safe bet.

However, he went 2-for-7 from three. Sure, that seems as simple as making shots but his shot selection wasn't the best either.

Granted, it's just one game. And it was against the defending champs, who had the league's best defense.

It's possible that this will be Sheppard's worst game of the season. But if he doesn't progress throughout the season, it may not be the best idea to insert him in the starting lineup.