Reed Sheppard on his priorities entering his second NBA season: “The biggest thing is just me staying out of my own way and getting out of my own head, and just knowing that I can do it.”
Speaking at his back-to-school community event for at-risk youth, Rockets guard Reed Sheppard briefly addressed basketball topics in a Tuesday conversation with on-site reporters.
Now 21 years old, Sheppard was drafted at No. 3 overall in the 2024 first round but played only sparingly on a Houston squad that finished with the second-best record (52-30) in the Western Conference.
So, entering his sophomore campaign, Sheppard and team officials have already shared a few points of emphasis. He needs to get stronger, improve defensively, and develop as a point guard. In recent days, Sheppard says he has practiced with newly acquired center Clint Capela.
But there is one mental characteristic that potentially plays into all of those individual points of emphasis, and that’s confidence.
“The biggest thing is just me staying out of my own way and getting out of my own head, and just knowing that I can do it,” Sheppard said, as captured by Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle. “But I’ve got really good teammates and coaches that have continued to just talk, and put confidence in me.”
As a rookie, Sheppard fared far better in a small sample of games where he started, which indicated a longer leash from the coaching staff and an ability to play through mistakes. He also excelled in starting appearances with Houston’s NBA G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers.
But in contrast to most highly drafted prospects, who go to teams without immediate expectations of winning, Sheppard joined a Rockets squad that already had considerable depth. (The pick Houston used to draft Sheppard was obtained via a previous trade with the Brooklyn Nets.) So, most of Sheppard’s appearances came in small spurts off the bench, and he often appeared tentative and hesitant.
For 2025-26, the goal for the Rockets and Sheppard is to find a way for the freedom that Sheppard played with as a starter to translate to a part-time role behind incumbent starter Fred VanVleet. It’s easier said than done, but the sharpshooter from Kentucky is working on it, and he has support from teammates and coaches.
“The biggest thing is confidence,” Sheppard concluded.