Often, an NBA player makes the jump in their second season from being a guy that their coach doesn’t yet have full trust in to becoming a reliable rotational piece. The Timberwolves have a few players (Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr., and even Jaylen Clark) who may be able to fit that mold.
It’s not always assured that a jump in play will happen, though. While it’s just one game, Reed Sheppard of the Rockets is also coming off an uneven rookie season. In Houston’s regular season opener on Tuesday, he didn’t exactly instill confidence in their fan base.
Reed Sheppard has subpar performance in regular season opener
It was quite the battle between the Rockets and the defending champions, the Thunder. It took two overtimes, but OKC prevailed by the score of 125-124 in what was an opening night classic.
Coming off the bench, Sheppard played nearly 28 minutes. The third overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, he was utilized for nearly the entire second OT due to Amen Thompson leaving with cramps.
Sheppard missed both of his field goal tries in the final five minutes, in what was an inefficient night overall for him. The 6-foot-2 guard finished shooting 3-11 from the field and 2-7 from deep (1-2 from the foul line).
There were times Sheppard displayed his playmaking (four assists), but there were also instances where he was targeted on defense. He had moments where he showed off his quick hands, but too often, Sheppard couldn’t stay in front of his man.
On this play, Luguentz Dort’s spin move left Sheppard in the dust.
Ouhhhh Luguentz Dort qui aspire l’âme de Reed Sheppard sur son spin…😵💫🌪️pic.twitter.com/o0yTdT0clH
— 50 Nuances 🇺🇸🏀 (@50NuancesDeNBA) October 22, 2025
How will Rob Dillingham perform on Wednesday?
Much like Sheppard, Dillingham was a 2024 lottery pick (eighth overall) who struggled to stay in the rotation as a rookie. Both came into the league known as excellent outside shooters, but both also had some concerns on the defensive end.
Again, it’s just one game from Sheppard, but he’s needed to play a large role with Fred VanVleet out for the season.
Many are expecting Dillingham to see increased minutes as Mike Conley is coming off a miserable postseason run and is now 38 years old. However, it's fair to expect growing pains from Dillingham both as a decision-maker and defender.
It’s extremely unlikely that Dillingham reaches the amount of playing time in Minnesota’s opener on Wednesday that Sheppard did on Tuesday. When on the court, fans will be focused on whether his outside shot looks pure and if Dillingham can at least be passable on the defensive end.