Interestingly, Rockets management believes that the team s best offensive player is not Alperen Sengon

Despite Reed Shepard's outstanding performance against the Warriors in the playoffs, the Rockets still think he has more offensive talent than Alperen Sengon.

The Houston Rockets are working hard to avoid being eliminated in the first round of the playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, and a surprising name has become the team's top offensive rookie: rookie guard Reed Shepard.

According to ESPN reporter Tim McMahon, Rockets management believes Shepard — rather than first-time All-Star All-Star center Alperen Sengon — is the most talented offensive player on the team. Although Shepard was the 2024 NBA Draft, his first year of performance has struggled to find stable playing time in head coach Ime Udoka's deep rotation lineup.

"Rocket decision makers believe that guard Reed Shepard, the rookie who failed to make steady progress in the deep rotation season, is perhaps the most offensive player in the team's roster," McMahon wrote.

Despite Alperen Sengon's outstanding performance in the playoffs, the Rockets still view Shepard as the team's top offensive player.

Shepard, 20 years old, has made 52 appearances this season, averaging 12.6 minutes per game, scoring 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists. In the NBA-level league, Shepard's shooting percentage has been low - shooting 35.1% from the field and 33.8% from three-pointers.

However, his performance in the Development League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers tells a different story. In three games, Shepard averaged 30.7 points, 8.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1 block per game, with a total shooting percentage of 45.6%, a 3-point shooting percentage of 40.5%, and a high shooting percentage of fouls.

Meanwhile, Sengen has been the Rockets' most stable player throughout the playoffs. The 22-year-old averaged 22.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game, shooting 45.6% from the field and 40% from three-pointers.

Despite Sengen's outstanding performance, the team's internal judgment of Shepard's ceiling may affect his future decisions. The Houston Rockets fell 1-3 in Game 5 aired on TNT on Wednesday 7:30 pm Eastern Time, and the team faced a tough battle to continue the playoff journey.

Shepard will play a more important role next season remains to be seen, but his offensive potential continues to be highly praised behind the scenes.