League him: Reed Sheppard shows he's ready to make an impact in the NBA

Houston Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard was one of the more promising prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft but he hasn't been able to carve out a consistent role in the Rockets' crowded rotation. But his recent performance in the NBA G League indicates it's only a matter of time.

The Rockets recently assigned Sheppard to their G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he immediately proved what many already knew — that he is ready to take off.

Sheppard had one of the best performances of his career thus far in a 130-125 win against the OKC Blue. He put on a show, scoring a career-high 49 points, six assists, and five rebounds on 17-of-33 shooting, including 8-of-19 from downtown.

Reed Sheppard shows he's more capable of playing in the NBA  

It was a stellar performance for a player who many had high hopes for coming into the 2024-25 season. While he has been somewhat disappointing this season, averaging 3.3 points per game on 32 percent shooting, his recent game in the G League showed that he just needs patience.

Sheppard was highly touted coming into the league after Houston selected him third overall in the 2024 Draft. He dazzled in the Vegas Summer League, showcasing the elite scoring ability that made him a promising prospect out of Kentucky and seems poised to make his mark on the NBA. However, a lack of playing time has him splitting time between the G League and the NBA.

With the Rockets in win-now mode, fans likely won't see much of Sheppard for the time being. He'll probably continue to split time between their G League affiliate and some minutes in the Rockets rotation that's already brimming with talent.

With the Vipers, Reed would get the necessary reps to develop his game and become a core rotational piece for the Rockets down the line and potentially a secret weapon for Ime Udoka later on in the season.