The arrival of Reed Sheppard to the Houston Rockets was highly anticipated. After a standout season at Kentucky as a freshman, though he only started five games, Sheppard raised his draft stock for the club to select him with the No.

I am just really excited to run out for the first time in my first game,” rookie guard Reed Sheppard said prior to Houston’s regular-season opener.

The rebuild is now over in Houston. The Rockets are now in the second year of their self-proclaimed "Phase 2" in the post-James-Harden era, and after a 41-win campaign in 2023-24, head coach Ime Udoka and the roster as a whole are clear about the team's goals: it's playoffs or bust in Houston, a refreshing turn given the depths of recent seasons.