Why Reed Sheppard Could Win Sixth Man of the Year

Reed Sheppard enters his third NBA season with a big role in Houston’s backcourt. After making a significant leap during the 2025-26 season, Sheppard could have a legitimate opportunity to emerge as one of the NBA’s top Sixth Man of the Year candidates.

Sheppard will be the second unit's primary off-ball playmaker and scoring threat. In his breakout year, Sheppard averaged 13.5 points in 26.2 minutes per game. His most impressive statistic was his highly efficient three-point shooting, as he averaged 39.4% from deep.

The Rockets’ backcourt will look much different with Fred VanVleet returning from a torn ACL and Marcus Smart joining the team. VanVleet is expected to reclaim the starting point guard role, but Houston could manage his workload as he returns from the injury, giving Sheppard more opportunity.

VanVleet is expected to sit out back-to-backs, so Sheppard will have some opportunities as the starter as well. As long as Sheppard plays more games from the bench than the starting lineup, he will be eligible and a prime candidate to win the award.

Smart should be the second unit's primary ball handler, which could be a major benefit for Sheppard. With Smart taking on more of the responsibility for initiating the offense, Sheppard can spend more time playing off the ball, moving around screens, and creating catch-and-shoot opportunities.

That role could allow Sheppard to maximize his biggest offensive strength, which is his shooting. Having a veteran playmaker like Smart create opportunities for him should lead to more open looks from beyond the arc.

Sheppard will still have opportunities to handle the ball and create for himself, but he shouldn't have to carry the second unit's offense. Smart's ability to attack the paint, make plays, and defend multiple positions gives Houston another player capable of creating offense while allowing Sheppard to focus on spacing the floor and scoring.

The biggest question is whether Sheppard can take another step defensively and become more consistent in creating his own offense. His size and athletic limitations can make certain matchups difficult, but his shooting, decision-making, and off-ball movement give him a clear path to win the award.

Sheppard is listed as a top-10 candidate to win the award currently, and most bookmakers have his odds set at around +1500, which has implied odds of around 6.25%. However, DraftKings is offering his line at +3000 currently, which seems like a steal.

The current favorites are Dylan Harper and Ajai Mitchell, with odds set at around +700, and I think Sheppard can truly contend with them. 

Lock it in: Sheppard will win the Sixth Man of the Year Award