The Houston Rockets have been struggling as of late. They have lost 11 of their last 17 games and are plummeting down the Western Conference standings. While they are still fifth in the conference, the loss of home-court advantage isn’t a good thing. Part of the reason for the slide has been injuries. Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and many others have been dealing with injuries. It is often hard to string together wins when constantly changing lineups. The Rockets are dealing with another injury as rookie Reed Sheppard will be out at least four weeks with a broken thumb.
Houston Rockets Reed Sheppard Out Four Weeks
The Houston Rockets took Reed Sheppard third overall in this year’s NBA Draft. He has not played much, averaging 3.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game this season. The former Kentucky Wildcat hasn’t played much, partly because of the depth the Rockets have. They have spent the last few seasons collecting young talent and spent big in free agency last year. He has gotten more time due to all the injuries on the team. Unfortunately, he will now be sidelined for a month.
The injury happened during the Houston Rockets’ win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. Head coach Ime Udoka did give a positive spin on the injury, saying it was on the top of his thumb, which is “a better outcome.” He will be in a splint as he recovers from the injury, signaling that the injury does not require surgery.
Season Outlook
The Houston Rockets have a difficult schedule down the stretch. However, the recent fall down the standings hasn’t put them out of the race by any means. They are only three games behind the Los Angeles Lakers who currently hold the second spot. While no one is catching the Oklahoma City Thunder, the second see is very much in play.
The other side of this is that the Houston Rockets have a three-game lead over the sixth seed, the Golden State Warriors. They can climb the standings by stringing together wins but can also easily fall further if they cannot right the ship. The hope is that they can get healthy in the last few months of the season. If they can, they might be a tough out in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Final Thoughts
This injury is a huge bummer for Reed Sheppard. He was finally starting to get playing time and showing promise. Many had him as the best shooter in the draft class. Every team needs more shooting, and if the Houston Rockets can develop him, he could become a quality starter down the road.
