Rockets' Reed Sheppard Proved Worth as a Rookie

The Houston Rockets aren't playing Reed Sheppard in their rotation for the playoffs, which is a similar tune to what he had to deal with over the course of the season.

Sheppard found himself stuck on a team that valued him, but didn't have enough playing time in the rotation due to other people.

That didn't stop Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale to place Sheppard at No. 5 in his re-draft exercise.

"Sheppard has seldom turned heads while earning sporadic playing time with the Houston Rockets. But cracking the regular rotation of the second-best team in the West as a rookie is, er, really ridiculously hard," Favale wrote.

"This Rockets regime also has a track record of gradually bringing along (most of) its kids. That approach has worked out quite well for Amen Thompson. And Alperen Şengün (who, let's face it, was brought along too slowly).

"For now, G-League detonations coupled with the flashes of tantalizing on-ball separation and off-ball gravity alongside the grown-ups are enough to hold out hope for Sheppard to follow an All-Star trajectory."

Sheppard may not have had the season a No. 3 overall pick is supposed to have, but that doesn't mean it wasn't successful. Especially towards the end of the season, Sheppard was able to get some minutes and prove why he was such a high pick to begin with.

It remains to be seen if Sheppard will be around for the long haul, but it is very clear that he has potential to enjoy a long career in the league.