After just a couple of games in this year's NBA Summer League, the Rockets have decided to shut down one of their former top picks.
Who are the Rockets shutting down?
The Rockets chose to shut down Reed Sheppard for the rest of the 2025 Summer League after he played in two games (Kelly Iko).
Sheppard was the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
He played 52 games in the 2024-25 NBA season, averaging 12.6 minutes.
Sheppard was one of the main players featured for Houston in their first two Summer League games.
He had an impressive performance against the Clippers in the first game, with a statline of 28 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks.
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He played Sunday against the Pistons, with a statline of 18 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 steals.
There seem to be some real positives to his game, but he shot just 6/19 from the field against the Pistons.
Summer League performances can go either way, so they should be looked at with a wide perspective, but Sheppard showed Houston enough that it allowed them to decide to end his 2025 campaign.
There were some roster shakeups after the Kevin Durant trade, so minutes might be altered slightly, giving Sheppard a potential chance to show what he's capable of if given some real run with the team.
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