Rockets' Reed Sheppard to Be One of the Most Pivotal NBA Role Players This Season

As soon as the news broke that Fred VanVleet tore his ACL before the start of training camp, all eyes turned to Reed Sheppard. The Houston Rockets are looking to enter title contention, but they'll navigate the 2025-26 season without one of their most important pieces.

VanVleet averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season, playing the role of a floor general and veteran leader for a young Rockets squad. Without him, Houston is limited in terms of playmaking, and Sheppard will have to step up, potentially in a starting role.

The 6-foot-2 guard didn't play much as a rookie, and when he did, it wasn't anything to be impressed with. Now, he'll be thrust into a major role on a team that hopes to win a championship with newly-acquired star Kevin Durant.

But just how important is Sheppard to the Rockets' success? According to The Athletic's Fred Katz, the Kentucky product is one of the five most pivotal role players this season.

"Sheppard won’t have as scrunched a floor to run the offense. How he performs in those moments will dictate how the Rockets proceed," Katz wrote.

"Can Sheppard play well enough that Houston emerges as a contender with him as its point guard? Or does his seat at the end of the bench last season signal he’s not ready for such an important role?

"If he’s not, the Rockets have the draft picks and young players to trade for any point guard, from a big name to a stopgap. Still, as long as Sheppard is their point guard, their title hopes could hinge on him as much as anyone else on the roster."

There's certainly a chance that Sheppard falls in line and complements the rest of the lineup. He displayed two-way prowess in college, shooting 52.1% from three and averaging 12.5 points and 2.5 steals per game.

Sheppard also won't have the same playmaking duties that VanVleet would have had. Amen Thompson will likely take on primary responsibilities as a point guard, as he has proven to be more of a Swiss Army knife for the Rockets. It also helps that Alperen Sengun can distribute as a center.

While Sheppard's performance will affect Houston's title hopes, it isn't as drastic as people think. If he doesn't play up to par through the first half of the season, the Rockets can also chase a replacement point guard before the trade deadline.