So much of the Houston Rockets’ story over the past few years has been the growth of the young talent and draft picks on the team. The Rockets’ future depends on them, known as the young core, a term thrown around quite a bit now.  While the patience has grown thin and the expectation is to win at this point, growth and development are still required for the youngest member of this young core. That is second-year combo guard Reed Sheppard.  He was the third overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and naturally high expectations are around him. Sheppard didn’t play much in his rookie season, but showed promise as a spark on the offensive end. His role took a large step forward this season, especially because starting point guard Fred VanVleet was out for the season with a torn ACL.  Sheppard took on a starting point guard role towards the end of the season and at times during the playoffs.…