Refusing to strengthen the defender! The Rockets want to compensate you, Stone talks about Shepard in tears, Uduka makes the words clear

The Rockets' starting lineup in the new season is luxurious. Van Vleet, Durant, Smith, Amen and Shin Kyung have a balanced offense and defense, which is extremely competitive. Among the five starting players, three are big players over 2.08 meters tall. Even Amen, who is 2.03 meters tall, is among the forward players. Only Van Jordan is a little short, but he perfectly makes up for his height disadvantage with his experienced defense and excellent organizational skills. The substitute lineup should not be underestimated. Shepard is led by players such as Okogie, Ethan, electric fans, and Adams, providing strong depth and defensive strength. During the offseason, the Rockets did not introduce backcourt players, but focused on strengthening the front line, retaining room for growth for Shepard. Rockets general manager Stone also talked about Shepard in particular when he was a guest on the ESPN podcast, and his words showed his apology for him. Stone admitted that if Shepard was not selected by the Rockets, he is likely to be selected by a lottery team and gain a more relaxed growth environment. After coaching in Uduka, the Rockets have become a championship-level team, especially after introducing Durant this year, the team's goal is to directly target the championship. This high-intensity competitive environment is not friendly to rookies, and Shepard has difficulty getting enough room for mistakes.

Stone sighed: "If Shepard were on the lottery team, he would have unlimited firepower and stable starting time. It doesn't matter if he was targeted on the defensive end, because those teams pay more attention to the training of players than their current record."

Shepard shocked the league with a 52% three-point shooting percentage in college and was known as the "white version of Curry." Not only does he have top-level shooting ability, he also shows the potential to become a dual-energy guard. The Rockets hope that he can grow into a point guard with both Paul's organizational skills and Curry's shooting ability. However, this growth requires a relaxed trial and error environment, and the Rockets' pressure to compete for the championship has forced Shepard to face strict growth conditions.

In the second half of last season, Shepard's offensive end gradually recovered and his defense was also improving. During the offseason, he gained 12 pounds through hard training, making him stronger, but his flexibility slightly decreased, which may take time to adapt.

Stone said: "Many people question Shepard and think he is weak, but don't forget that he has elite shooting ability and 40-inch vertical bounce. His defensive awareness and team spirit are excellent, but he is not confrontational. We believe that his defense will not become a weakness in the new season."

Shepard's situation is in sharp contrast to other high-ranking rookies in the same class. As the Tanhua show last year, he was far less treated in the Rockets than No. 1 Rissache or No. 2 Sal. If Shepard was placed in a team like the Spurs or the Nets, he might have already shown a more dazzling performance with his unlimited firepower. Stone bluntly said: "Shepard's situation in the Rockets is like being thrown into deep water, and he can only adapt to the high-intensity environment by himself. He should have received the training opportunities that high-ranking rookies should have, but we can only let him grow under strict conditions."

data provide evidence for Shepard's talent. Last season, he contributed 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in 12.6 minutes of playing time, with an overall shooting percentage of 35.1% and a three-point shooting percentage of 34%.

Although the data is not impressive, his performance in three starting games is eye-catching, averaging 20 points and 5 assists per game, with an overall shooting percentage of 49%, and a three-point shooting percentage of up to 52%. All these show that as long as you give enough playing time and ball rights, Shepard is fully capable of realizing his potential. Shepard's biggest weakness at present is the lack of physical confrontation, which is reflected in the summer league. The Rockets have a very clear positioning of him: the potential stocks for starting point guards in the future. Shepard is 1.91 meters tall and has a historically-level projection feel and excellent running ability. When the feel is smooth, his three-point shooting is quite as charming as Curry.

Uduka once commented that Shepard's defensive awareness and teamwork ability have reached a high level. As long as the confrontation problem is solved, he is fully capable of becoming the core of the Rockets' backcourt. For Shepard, the new season will be a critical moment to prove himself. The Rockets' championship roster means he must show value in limited opportunities while withstand the test on the defensive end. The doubts about him by fans and the media never stopped, but it also stems from the environment he is in - a team that aims directly at the championship has very little room for fault tolerance for rookies. If Shepard can overcome the shortcomings of physical confrontation and gradually adapt to the strength of the NBA, his future will be limitless.