Rockets' Dynamic Duo: Thompson Motivates Sheppard to Shoot More

Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard is finding his stride this season, but his teammate Amen Thompson believes there’s room for improvement. After Sheppard had a stellar performance with 21 points in the Rockets’ 135-112 victory over the Washington Wizards, Thompson playfully urged Sheppard to be more aggressive when it comes to shooting.

During a post-game chat, Sheppard recalled a lighthearted moment from the weight room where Thompson jokingly threatened to punch him if he continued to dribble instead of shooting when he had open looks. “Amen told me in the weight room just a minute ago, he said, ‘But if you take one more dribble when you're open and there's no shooting, I'm gonna punch you in the face,’” Sheppard shared.

Thompson confirmed the interaction, emphasizing his desire for Sheppard to capitalize on scoring opportunities. Given Sheppard’s previous struggles in his rookie season, where he averaged 12.2 points but shot only 35.1 percent from the field, this encouragement comes as a vital push for the young player.

Now, Thompson has stepped up as the starting point guard, especially in light of Fred VanVleet’s recent ACL injury. Sheppard is seeing increased playing time and making an impact, currently averaging 12.2 points with an impressive 50% shooting rate from beyond the arc through the first 10 games of the season.

With Sheppard managing 14.8 field-goal attempts per 36 minutes, he ranks just behind Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün on the team. Thompson’s feedback aims to turn those attempts into more efficient scoring as the Rockets aim for continued success.

Currently, the Rockets are thriving, winning seven of their last eight games after an initial 0-2 start, holding the top spot in the NBA in offensive rating and ranking third in net rating.