Brian Barefield

“I just felt empowered and honored that I was the guy who was thought of to help lead this ship in the right direction,” Fred VanVleet says of his first Rockets season.

“The possibility of adding another young talented player in the draft or through a trade, we’re excited about that possibility,” Rafael Stone says.

“At the end of our process, we ended up with Reed as the best player in the draft by quite a bit,” Rockets GM Rafael Stone says of Reed Sheppard.

As 2024 summer league continues, the Rockets will need to decide whether it’s worth it to continue playing Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore.

Rookie guard Reed Sheppard made a fast impression on both his teammates and Houston fans during Tuesday’s preseason win over the Pelicans.

“Rebound and push the pace more,” Amen Thompson says of his goals. “I can get my teammates involved a little bit more and defend at a higher level.”

“That was a coach’s decision and I understand,” Alperen Sengun says of Ime Udoka’s recent choices to leave him out of Houston’s late-game lineups.

Rockets guard Fred VanVleet on his mindset: “I play to win. I don’t play for Twitter. I don’t play for stats. I play every game like it’s my last.”

“It always helps talking with him,” Alperen Sengun says of his discussions with Rockets coach Ime Udoka. “He was helping me get my confidence back.”

Rockets coach Ime Udoka: “A lot of teams would fold when you let a big lead like that go away. To win one like that, it makes it even more sweet.”