After going on a 3-0 run during the first week of the 2026-2027 season, the Houston Rockets sit at the top of the Western Conference standings. One of the victories came against the reigning conference champion San Antonio Spurs.

While Kevin Durant is still an elite scorer at 38 years old, Houston’s early success can also be attributed to a young core. The main standouts include Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun. Looking at the small sample of games played, the question is which Rockets player is ready to make a leap this season.

One player who has shown great promise of raising his ceiling is the 22-year-old Reed Sheppard. Getting his first start of the season on Saturday night, Sheppard totaled 19 points and seven assists over 30 minutes. He went 5-for-11 from three-point range.

With Fred VanVleet as the starting point guard and Marcus Smart being utilized as a backup, Sheppard may not show great improvement without an increase in minutes.…