Rookie season superlative: Following considerable hype around Sheppard a year ago, there wasn’t all that much to say about his rookie season, as he appeared in only 51 games and averaged 12 minutes on a talented Rockets team. He did score 49 points in a G League game, and Houston remains excited about him as he steps into more minutes on a team with high aspirations.
Why he’s ranked here: One subtext of Houston dealing away Jalen Green in the Kevin Durant trade is that the Rockets cleared significant backcourt minutes for Sheppard, who currently pencils in for a real role behind Fred VanVleet and Amen Thompson. The Rockets’ ability to contend in the truest sense may hang more on the growth of their young players than whatever Durant gives them: Sheppard, Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. are all going to play major roles.
While he wasn’t especially noteworthy at summer league, Sheppard is worthy of optimism — he should be walking into an ideal role as a secondary handler, playmaker and spacer who can both operate off of and make life easier for Houston’s stars. His shooting will be pivotal next to Thompson and Alperen Sengun, but he’ll also need to remain effective defensively, as the Rockets will be giving up a good deal of perimeter size when VanVleet and Sheppard share the floor. Sheppard’s instincts for winning possessions help him on that end, but he’s not exactly a deterrent for opposing shooters, either.
Sheppard has the chance to be a huge swing factor in Houston’s title chase — in theory, he’s stepping into the perfect situation. The question is whether next season is the right time and how the Rockets might have to adjust their depth accordingly. The simple fact is that we haven’t really seen him yet, and what it means for Houston’s place in the arc of this season earns him the top spot on this list.