Reed Sheppard and the Houston Rockets visited the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Rockets looked slightly sluggish coming out of the gates. However, they managed a 55-51 halftime lead. Jalen Green led all scorers with 21 points.
However, that again meant fewer minutes for Reed Sheppard. After playing only nine minutes in Tuesday's matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Sheppard played five minutes in the first half of Wednesday's contest against Philadelphia.
The Rockets' lottery pick didn't find his rhythm in his limited playing time again. Sheppard finished the first half without scoring a point after missing his only three attempts on the night, two of which came from beyond the arc. He recorded an assist and steal, though.
Sheppard never entered the game again, which went into overtime. The Rockets won 122-115 as Jalen Green dropped 41 points, Amen Thompson had a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double and Alperen Sengun finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists.
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Here are Reed Sheppard's stats from tonight:
Rockets must plan better Reed Sheppard's development
Reed Sheppard remains searching for minutes and consistent playing time with the Houston Rockets. The No. 3 pick got significant minutes for 11 of his last 15 games in which he played at least 10+ minutes. That has changed again over the last two games. Sheppard didn't crack the rotation with a handful of minutes on offer in these close games, as both went to overtime.
Granted, it's not something the Rockets can predict, but they evidently have the guard depth to play without Sheppard. With Houston making Cam Whitmore play in the G League, they can make a similar arrangement for Sheppard. If not all games, the lottery pick can split his time across both leagues to ensure he's getting consistent game reps.
Sheppard could be a valuable contributor in no time, especially if Houston plans to move on from some of their existing veteran wins on the team.
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