Inside The Rockets

Rockets' Reed Sheppard Selected to NBA Rising Stars Game

Houston's second-year guard was rewarded for vast improvement with a roster spot in the Rising Stars Game during All-Star Weekend.
Jed Katz|
Jan 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) reacts to his basket against the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Jan 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) reacts to his basket against the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

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Houston Rockets

Before the start of the season, the Houston Rockets organization and fanbase knew that Reed Sheppard was going to have to make vast improvements in year two. With a lack of guard depth after acquiring Kevin Durant for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and draft capital, he was going to have an increased role.

That sentiment was even greater after Fred VanVleet went down with a torn ACL in September. Needless to say, he has exceeded expectations thus far and was rewarded for it with a spot in the 2026 Rising Stars Game. Sheppard will travel to Los Angeles with a plethora of other rookies, sophomore and G League talents.

Sheppard will be part of a pool with 20 other rookies and sophomores selected to compete in a mini-tournament. NBA legends Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter will draft three teams, while Austin Rivers will coach the G League team.

Sheppard is averaging 13.1 points, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals across 43 games on 44% shooting from the field and an impressive 40.7% from three. He has taken the leap for the Rockets off the bench, and while they still have issues at the point guard position, the 21-year-old is contributing to a top-five offensive rating this season.

The 6-foot-2 guard is one of five lottery picks from the 2024 NBA Draft to make the sophomore squad. 11 total players were selected for the group, including Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards), Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs) and Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls).

The winning team from the Rising Stars tournament on Feb. 13 will get a chance to compete against the league's All-Stars on Feb. 15. Last season, Amen Thompson represented the Rockets against fellow teammate Alperen Sengun, as his Rising Stars team won the mini-tournament in San Francisco.

Sheppard has been one of the few options for Houston off the bench this season. The organization sacrificed depth to acquire Durant last offseason, so the Kentucky native has been perhaps the only offensive weapon right now, outside of the starting five.

Thompson, Sengun, Durant, Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. have been the first five since Steven Adams went down with his second ankle sprain earlier this month.

Sheppard's selection speaks to how well Houston has drafted talent since entering a rebuild in 2021. The Rockets boast homegrown talent such as Sheppard, Sengun, Thompson, Smith and Eason, while Jalen Green was another name drafted and then traded.

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Jed Katz
JED KATZ

Jed is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in journalism. He also contributes at several other basketball outlets, including has his own basketball blog and podcast — The Sixth Man Report.

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