Even better than Van Jordan! 29 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks! The No. 1 position the Rockets have been waiting for is here.

On October 17, in the NBA preseason game, the Rockets, who came off the bench, defeated the Hawks with almost all players 133-115. Three Rockets scored 20+, including Okogie who made 8 of 15, 2 of 5 three-pointers, 10 of 12 free throws, and scored 28 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. Isaiah Crawford made 8 of 14, 4 of 7 three-pointers, and scored 20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

The Rockets' highest scorer is Shepard, who had the best performance of his career: he started 29 minutes, made 12 of 22 shots, including 5 of 13 three-pointers, scoring 29 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks, with a plus-minus value of +11. Sheppard said after the game: "I have been given the opportunity to take on a larger role. All I have to do is stay confident and try to replicate tonight's performance!"

Van Jordan suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his knee, and the Rockets urgently needed a starting No. 1 position. Previously, the coach was also worried about whether Shepard would be qualified. After this game, Rockets team reporter Jackson Gatlin said: "Shepard's starting position is basically determined!" The Rockets' preseason tour has ended. Not only did they achieve 4 wins and 0 losses, but they also averaged 131.3 points per game.

After four preseason games, Shepard averaged 23 minutes per game, scoring 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks, and 2.8 turnovers. The shooting percentage was 51.2%, the three-point shooting percentage was 40.7%, and the free throw percentage was 83.3%. The Rockets have high hopes for Sheppard. In the new season, he will serve as the Rockets' No. 1 position with Amen Thompson.

In this year’s preseason, Amen Thompson played 3 games. He averaged 25 minutes per game, scoring 17 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.3 blocks and 2.7 turnovers. The shooting percentage was 56.3%, the three-point shooting percentage was 66.7%, and the free throw percentage was 91.7%. The biggest problem for Amen and Sheppard right now is that they make too many mistakes and they need to control them.

Shepard was born on June 24, 2004. He is 1.87 meters tall with bare feet and has a wingspan of 1.91 meters. In the 2024-25 season, Shepard played 52 regular season games with the Rockets and started only 3 games. He averaged 12.6 minutes per game, scored 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.7 steals. His three shooting percentages were: 35.1%, 33.8%, and 81.3%.

Finally, welcome to the discussion: Do you think Sheppard can perform well in the new season?