Rockets' Reed Sheppard Considered One of the Favorites for Sixth Man Award

The 2025-26 NBA season has been a tremendous developmental year for Houston Rockets second-year guard Reed Sheppard. He's immersed himself as one of the Rockets' young prospects with arguably the highest ceiling.

Sheppard is also one of the Rockets' best long-range shooters, if not the best long-range shooter on the roster. Sheppard is shooting 39 percent from deep on a respectable volume of 6.8 attempts per contest on the season.

Dating back to the All-Star break, he's been the Rockets' best shooter, when factoring in volume, as he's made 40.2 percent of his attempts on a team-leading 7.5 outside attempts per contest, which spans 13 games.

The Rockets are devoid of 3-point specialists and it shows statistically. To add color to that, the Rockets have the fourth-fewest made 3-point field goals and the second-fewest long-range attempts.

Sheppard also has the ability to fill in as Houston's pick-and-roll maestro, which has been on display throughout the season time and time again. Sheppard is arguably Houston's biggest X-factor on the offensive end of the floor, as he's one of the only players with the ability to create offense for himself.

With or without a screen, Sheppard can initiate offense. And according to ESPN's Richard Jefferson, Sheppard should be in major consideration for the NBA's Most Improved Player award.

"Reed Sheppard's gotta be up there for Most Improved. When you look at the start of the season last year, the first game of the year, with how much he has improved throughout the season, it's been impressive.

He's doing it on a playoff team. He's doing it on the number three team. So you have that increase, when you have this amount of talent around you, that's very, very difficult to do for a young player."

Sheppard has been the Rockets' fourth-leading scorer since the All-Star break, tied with wing/guard Amen Thompson at 14 points. As it pertains to the conversation regarding the Most Improved Player award, he's had a 9 point jump year-over-year as it pertains to his scoring average.

Last season, he averaged 4.4 points on a nightly basis and this season he has averaged 13.5 points. It will also work in his favor that he's already surpassed the league's 65-game minimum requirement, having already played 66 games.

For example, Utah Jazz scoring guard Keyonte George would certainly garner serious consideration for the award, having averaged 23.6 points and 6.1 assists, however, he's likely out for the season and has played in just 54 games on the season.

He'd still face serious competition for the award, as Jalen Duren, Ryan Rollins and Jalen Johnson all figure to garner legitimate consideration. Blazers prospect Deni Avidja will also be in serious consideration for the award after making the All-Star team.

But Sheppard has had a good season and his year-over-year progress and/or improvement can't be ignored.