Reed Sheppard and the Houston Rockets hosted the LA Clippers on Wednesday. Unlike previous outings, the No. 3 pick received playing time early in the game. Sheppard was introduced late in the first quarter by coach Ime Udoka amid the team's hot 3-point shooting start.While Sheppard failed to make his only shot attempt from 3 in the quarter, his impact as a spacer helped others get high-quality shots. The Rockets made 6 of 9 shots from deep in the first quarter.Sheppard continued to feature in the lineup and started the second quarter. He was off to the races on the first possession, getting a steal and a layup on the other end. Sheppard played six straight minutes before returning to the bench. He was highly active defensively in that stretch. Sheppard didn't check back in the rest of the half.Reed Sheppard didn't warrant much playing time in the second half, either. He got five minutes from Udoka despite an impressive performance in the first. Sheppard got another shot attempt, but he failed to make it and finished with the same score as the first half.Here are Reed Sheppard's stats tonight vs. LA Clippers so far:PTSREBASTSTLBLKTOFG3-PT FGFTM+/-MIN2 221001-40-30-0+1311:22Rockets coach Ime Udoka reflects on Reed Sheppard's developmentReed Sheppard's rookie NBA season hasn't gotten off to a promising start. It's been a slow process for Houston's lottery pick after struggling to find time in the rotation. The Rockets are stacked in the backcourt, limiting him to 12.0 minutes per game in 11 appearances.Coach Ime Udoka believes Sheppard is getting more comfortable with every game, and he wants him to build on that. "Getting comfortable. I had to tell him, I think it was the Detroit game, to just shoot the ball when he's open and he passed up a few of the times," Udoka said before Wednesday's game against the Clippers."He's like a basketball purist. He's gonna make the right play, every time, but him passing up a decent shot to someone who is more not as good a shooter or a little more contested, it's not a good look for him. So, we encourage him to make the right play which is taking shots. Don't be selfish and turn down a shot."Sheppard produced a season-high seven points against the Wizards on Monday. He shot 3 of 5 and made his only 3-pointer in 17 minutes. He has seemed slightly more aggressive since then and attempted shots on plays. Sheppard's activity on defense has also been notable.
