Reed Sheppard Stats Tonight: How did Houston Rockets rookie fare against New Orleans Pelicans? (March 6)

Reed Sheppard has had a tough rookie campaign for the upstart Houston Rockets, filled with DNPs and even stints in the NBA G League. Sheppard has shown flashes of his potential throughout the season, most recently on Tuesday in the loss to the OKC Thunder.

The No. 3 pick has only appeared in 44 games this season, mostly playing garbage time minutes. He has been phenomenal in the NBA G League but can't seem to crack the Rockets' rotation consistently. But with Houston's struggles, maybe it's time for coach Ime Udoka to continue giving the rookie guard more playing time.

The Rockets were back in action on Thursday night, this time at New Orleans versus the Pelicans to complete their three-game road trip. So how did Sheppard fare tonight against the second-worst team in the Western Conference?

Sheppard finished with just two points, three rebounds and three assists in almost 12 minutes of action. The Rockets struggled a bit versus New Orleans, but still pulled off the 109-97 win.

Despite minimal production for Reed Sheppard, the Houston Rockets were carried by their starters. Alperen Sengun led the way with 22 points, six rebounds and eight assists, while Amen Thompson grabbed a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Tari Eason was also huge with 20 points, four assists and five steals, with Jabari Smith Jr. scoring 16 points off the bench. Steven Adams only had two points, but had eight rebounds and six assists and 19 minutes.

It was a strong performance from a Rockets that needed a boost after struggling over the past month. They improved to 38-25 for the season, sitting fifth in the Western Conference standings and ahead by three games against the Golden State Warriors.

Here are Reed Sheppard's stats for the game:

Players	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	+/-
Reed Sheppard	2	3	3	0	0	1	2	11:51	1-5	0-1	0-0	0

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How did Reed Sheppard fare against the New Orleans Pelicans?

There weren't a lot of expectations from Reed Sheppard heading into Thursday's game in New Orleans. Sheppard was coming off his first-ever start, providing 25 points and five assists on 10-for-17 shooting. He was phenomenal despite the loss to the OKC Thunder.

Nevertheless, Sheppard did his job tonight, coming off the bench and providing relief to the starters. He shot 1-for-5 in 12 minutes, scoring just two points, which was a mid-range jumper. He did dish out three assists, including a looping pass to Jabari Smith Jr. on the fastbreak.

The Rockets will have some dilemma next season, especially with Sheppard's potential breakout and the possibility of Fred VanVleet leaving via free agency. If the team can make the playoffs, the front office could make some hard decisions depending on how far they make it there.