Rockets' Reed Sheppard May Not Play Much in Second Half

Reed Sheppard could go back to the bench for the Houston Rockets.

Feb 9, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) reacts after a play during the game against the Toronto Raptors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston Rockets rookie guard Reed Sheppard wasn't dealt the best hand for his rookie year when it comes to playing time.

While he finds himself on a playoff-caliber team in the Rockets, who currently sit in fourth place in the Western Conference at the All-Star break, that status hasn't done well for his minutes.

Simply put, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka trusts backup point guard Aaron Holiday more than Sheppard, and that has proven to be the right decision so far for the team.

Holiday is better equipped to take on that role for a playoff team than Sheppard is as a 20-year-old rookie. Sure, giving Sheppard minutes would help his long-term stock, but the Rockets have been on a different mission this season compared to the last four years.

Houston actually has a playoff contender for the first time since 2020 and without James Harden, who took the Rockets to the postseason eight consecutive years.

With things getting serious, playing Sheppard kind of goes to the backburner.

Sheppard could have the highest ceiling of any player on the Rockets, but the team isn't concerned about the future for the first time in years. Instead, the future is now for the Rockets, which means that the best players need to see the court. Unfortunately for Sheppard right now, that isn't him.

Could it be him someday? Absolutely. In fact, it probably will, but that's for the future to figure out.

For now, the Rockets simply need to play their best players night in and night out in hopes of getting the highest seed possible for the playoffs. And those plans shouldn't include Sheppard unless injuries begin to pile up or there is a major shift after the All-Star break.

Sheppard and the Rockets are back in action on Friday when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT.

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