It is indeed effective against weak teams, but that is not the case when the Rockets encounter strong teams?

In the previous NBA regular season, the Houston Rockets defeated the Memphis Grizzlies at home 124-109. After this game, the Rockets, who had won 5 consecutive games, improved their record to 5-2, and their ranking rose to 3rd in the Western Conference; the Grizzlies, who suffered 4 consecutive losses, saw their record drop to 3-6, and their ranking fell to 13th in the Western Conference.

In this game, the performance of Rockets backup point guard Reed Sheppard also improved significantly. Shepard played 16 minutes and 49 seconds, making 5 of 7 shots, 2 of 4 from beyond the three-point line, and 0 of 1 free throw. He scored 12 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 2 steals. He also had 1 foul and a plus-minus of -3. Facing opponents who are not doing well recently, Sheppard also showed his scoring ability. He also scored a lot of points through various methods, and his shooting ability seemed to be fully utilized. Of course, Sheppard's performance in other aspects is still relatively average. His passing ability and organizational ability have not been fully utilized, and his effectiveness on the defensive end is also very unsatisfactory. Sheppard can be considered to have played a certain role in this game, and he can be considered to have made his own contribution to the team's victory.

In the NBA regular season last season, Shepard played a total of 52 times in 82 games, averaging 12.6 minutes per game. He averaged 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game. He also had 0.7 turnovers and 1 foul. He shot 35.1% from the field, 33.8% from the three-point range, and 81.3% from the free throw line. In the playoffs, Sheppard only got a total of 3 playing opportunities, averaging only 3.3 minutes per game, averaging 0 points, 0.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game. He also had 0.3 turnovers and 0.3 fouls. He shot 0% from the field and 0% from the three-point range. Since the start of this season, Shepard has averaged 20 minutes per game in the first 7 games, averaging 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 0.3 blocks per game. He also has 1.3 turnovers and 1.3 fouls. His shooting percentage is 41.7%, 42.9% from three-point range, and 66.7% from free throws.

On the one hand, Sheppard's offensive efficiency does not seem to be bad, and his performance beyond the three-point line is also worthy of recognition. However, on the other hand, his stability on the court is seriously insufficient. His performance on the defensive end is not ideal, and his performance in passing and organization is also very mediocre. The Rockets have high hopes for Sheppard, but so far, his performance has been tepid and he has not fully utilized his abilities. The Rockets have given Shepard stable playing time and performance opportunities so far, but it seems that Shepard can only complete the task of abusing the dish so far. In the next game, how can Shepard perform against stronger opponents?