Will there be more opportunities? Where are Shepard and Whitmore in the Rockets’ plans?

Translator's note: This article was originally published from the Houston Chronicle, and the author is Danielle Lerner. The data in the article are as of the original text as of May 8, local time. The views in the article have nothing to do with the translator and the platform.

The Houston Rockets returned to the NBA playoff stage for the first time during the rebuilding of the season, and although it ended with a disappointing first-round exit, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone made it clear on Tuesday that he believes the team is on a "very solid development track."

This offseason will determine which players will remain in the team's development trajectory, as the Rockets are weighing whether to upgrade the roster through offseason trades or double down on cultivating the young core players they already have. The young core includes seven players the Rockets have selected with their first-round picks in the last four drafts. So far, each player has faced different challenges and has gained different opportunities in Houston.

Jaylen Green, Shin Kyung and Amen Thompson are the starters of the Rockets this season. Jabarri Smith and Tari Ethan, as stable members of the rotation lineup, will usher in a window to renew their rookie contract this summer. But for Cam Whitmore, who ranked 20th in the first round in 2023 and Reed Shepard, who ranked 3rd in the first round in 2024, their playing time is very limited. Whitmore played 51 games for the Rockets this season, starting in 3 of them. But as a sophomore, he averaged less playing time (16.2 minutes) than his rookie season (18.7 minutes) - he got more chances when Ethan was injured at the end of the season. Rookie defender Shepard played 52 games and started in 3 games, averaging 12.6 minutes per game.

Rockets head coach Uduka said he believes the team's young players will get more opportunities to play next season.

"It's a happy worry," Uduka said. "We brought in veterans two years ago, and then, because we stocked up so many good players, now we have to fight for it with our own efforts or in certain situations to get opportunities. So, like Jaylen Green, Shin Kyung and some players from a few years ago, they have the opportunity to train and grow in various games, and the stages we are in are different now. However, the growth and development of players will come naturally, and we fully believe in our young players, those who don't get too many opportunities this season." Uduka said that even if Whitmore and Shepard didn't get much time in the game, he saw their growth behind the scenes, especially when they get more time in the late season.

Shepard entered the league as a sharpshooter and occasionally showed explosive scoring this season, but he averaged 2.7 three-pointers per game and shot only 33.8%. However, regardless of whether veteran point guard Fred VanVleet returns next season, Shepard has the potential to grow into a reliable rotation player and be the core player in the Rockets' backcourt with Amen Thompson.

Whitmore's situation is even more complicated. The 6-foot-7 (about 2.01 meters) striker may still have difficulty getting playing time in the fiercely competitive wing rotation. He is ahead of him, including Jaylen Green, Dillon Brooks, Ethan, Smith and Amen Thompson - a lineup that may not become thinner next season, and this competitive environment may continue. As an explosive athlete, Whitmore can hit three-pointers and score points at the basket, injecting vitality into the Rockets' offense, but sometimes problems arise in shooting choices and defensive judgments.

While a reporter asked Uduka to ask Whitmore's question on Tuesday, Uduka seemed a little surprised when he mentioned that Whitmore was uncertain about his role.

"I was a little surprised by this, too, because we had a deeper conversation with Whitmore than anyone else," Uduka said. "I know very well what gives you a chance to play and what can help you maintain your role. I'm just saying so much about that, but we did have a lot of conversations. We're very clear about what he needs to do. Opportunities are there, just sometimes not caught, or other players come forward and play better, you need to be stable in that regard... He has huge potential, stability is key. He knows that himself."

In their third NBA season, Smith and Ethan missed a lot of games due to injury. Smith started in the first 33 games of the season and then missed 22 games due to a hand fracture. When he returned, he was on the bench but remained one of the Rockets' most comprehensive defensive players and top scorers. During the regular season, Smith averaged 30.1 minutes per game, scoring 12.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and a three-point shooting percentage of 35.4%. In the playoffs, although they participated in the double tower lineup with significant effects in the playoffs, their playing time was reduced to 20.4 minutes, and their data dropped to 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds, but the three-pointers increased to 45.5%.

"Jabari performed very well after returning from injury and adapted to the substitute we had him on," Uduka said. "We brought Amen into the starting lineup and the team got better in some ways. Obviously, the shooting ability of the starting lineup was lacking, but the comprehensiveness of Jabari and Amen made the transition very smoothly. I think he is a very professional player and handled it well after returning, which also shows how much we missed him when he was away. Whether he played the fourth, third or occasionally fifth, he filled a lot of vacancies after returning and performed very well in the double tower lineup.. ”

Ethan missed 13 games in the first half of the season due to pain from leg surgery in the previous season, and did not play back to back for the rest of the regular season after returning. In the playoffs, he played in every game, averaging 18.9 minutes per game, scoring 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds.

"The situation in Tari was a little different," said Uduka. "Obviously, we hope he can keep the game continuity every night, but we have to take into account his physical condition and make sure he can stick to the end of the season. For a young player, we want to see his progress in his growth. I think he can't play every night, which is a challenge for him, especially because he's so competitive. ”

Smith and Ethan will be eligible for contract extensions after signing a rookie contract with the Rockets from July 1, with the deadline being the day before the 2025-26 season unveiling. Last year's offseason, the Rockets did not complete negotiations on a new contract with Jaylen Green and Shinkyung until the deadline.

Stone said the Rockets would talk to Smith and Ethan, but refused to disclose more details about the negotiations.

"They are all very important parts of our team, they are all very, very good players, and I like them very much," Stone said. "In fact, this may have been obvious, but the players on the entire team come to practice hard every day, which is really great. I think Tari and Jabbarri have had a tough year in particular, with injuries and all kinds of pain in their growth, but they all handled it very well. I am very grateful for their efforts and am very excited about their future development direction. ”

Uduka said the Rockets plan to spend as much time with young players as possible this summer and will assign coaches to the city and country where the players are located to meet them. They did similar things last summer and even sent three coaches to Turkey to train with Shinkyung, but this year they will have more time due to fewer tasks in international basketball events such as the Olympics.

"I would say we have become more stable, which is an important goal we started this season," Uduka said. "We have taken steps, which is not only reflected in our record, but also in the growth of players and their understanding of the game. As coaching staff and teams, we always want more – whether you call it selfishness, greed or anything else. Of course, we weren't happy with the way the season ended and we felt we should be still playing, but there was a lot of learning experience there that would help us move forward. Yes, I want to say everyone will do better and get stronger when they come back. This is the main message we convey when we leave: what we do brings us to this point, but we all have to be better when we come back. This is an important offseason for everyone. ”