With playing time scarce, Rockets assign rookie Reed Sheppard to NBA G League affiliate

With his NBA playing time increasingly scarce in recent weeks, it has Houston Rockets assigns rookie guard Reed Sheppard to their G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers.

Drafted as no. 3 overall in the 2024 first round, Sheppard opened the 2024-25 season as Houston’s backup point guard. But the 6-foot-2 Kentucky product began his pro career in a shooting slump (32.2% FG, 27.9% on 3-pointers), and that gradually led to the 20-year-old losing minutes.

The Rockets (23-12) are currently ranked No. 2 in Western Conference standingsand the win-now emphasis has made it harder for head coach Ime Udoka to justify using rotation minutes for developmental purposes.

Thus, instead of sitting at the end of Houston’s bench and only playing sparingly in largely uncompetitive situations, the Rockets apparently believe it’s better for Sheppard’s long-term development to have him play more regularly — even if at a lower level level. Udoka and the Rockets used a similar strategy earlier this season with second-year prospect Cam Whitmore, who was drafted in the 2023 first round and is the same age as Sheppard.

Of course, Houston will have the option to recall Sheppard at any time. As long as Sheppard is unavailable, veteran Aaron Holiday will be the primary backup guard available to Udoka off Houston’s bench.

More: ‘We’ll see what happens’: Despite recent form, Cam Whitmore unsure of role with Rockets

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets assign rookie guard Reed Sheppard to NBA G League affiliate