Slightly ahead of schedule, Rockets guard Reed Sheppard was officially active and cleared to play in Sunday's road game versus Phoenix.
After suffering a right thumb avulsion fracture on March 6 versus the New Orleans Pelicans, Houston's top rookie was initially estimated to miss at least four weeks.
Drafted at No. 3 overall in the 2024 first round, Sheppard has played only sparingly in the 2024-25 season for a deep Houston squad that is highly likely to advance to the NBA's 2025 playoffs. At the moment, the Rockets are 48-26 and No. 2 in the Western Conference standings.
With that in mind, considering Sheppard's relative inexperience and a lack of consistent playing time before the injury, it's probably a longshot to expect Sheppard to play significant minutes this season or postseason.
Rockets say rookie guard Reed Sheppard — who missed the past 11 games — is available tonight. Sheppard had been out since early March with a right thumb injury.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) March 30, 2025
Then again, in a March 3 game with widespread injury absences and an opportunity for more minutes, the 20-year-old Kentucky product flashed his potential with an efficient 25-point, 5-assist night at Oklahoma City.
Regardless, Sheppard could be a useful depth option near the end of Houston's bench. And perhaps more importantly, having a healthy thumb on his shooting hand is an essential first step when it comes to skills development during the offseason ahead.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: After right thumb injury, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard cleared to play
