The Houston Rockets entered the preseason with high ambitions, banking on Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Clint Capela. With Fred VanVleet`s two-year, $50 million contract signed over the summer, the team was poised to challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder and contend for their first championship since 1995. However, during an unofficial team workout in the Bahamas, VanVleet suffered a torn ACL, which could sideline him for the entire season. Now, the Rockets face the challenge of replacing their key point guard, deciding how to distribute roles among young players like Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard to stay in the playoff race. NBA analysts are discussing how the injury will impact the team and what Houston might do to strengthen its roster.
Rockets Adapt to a New Reality
During a recent practice, coach Ime Udoka discussed Kevin Durant`s evolving role. Following VanVleet`s injury, Durant becomes a central figure in orchestrating the team`s offense, though Udoka emphasizes a collective approach. The coach explained that ball-handling duties would be distributed among several players, including Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, and even center Alperen Sengun, along with Durant himself, all capable of effectively initiating offense. Udoka is confident that the team possesses enough skilled players, even without a traditional point guard. In their first preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks, which Durant sat out, Thompson, Sengun, and Smith efficiently ran the offense, showcasing the Rockets` potential to remain competitive. The players, despite the circumstances, express confidence in their abilities.
VanVleet`s Injury: A Setback, Not a Derailment
The acquisitions of Durant, Finney-Smith, and Capela clearly signaled the Rockets` immediate intent to compete for Western Conference leadership. Losing a veteran captain and starting point guard to a season-ending injury is a shock for any team. For Houston, the problem is compounded by the fact that their replacements, such as Amen Thompson or Reed Sheppard, have limited experience. While the Rockets do have alternatives – Durant is an offensive system unto himself, and Sengun is one of the league`s best passing big men – they cannot fully replicate VanVleet`s leadership qualities. Nevertheless, this is not a catastrophe. Houston has roster depth and time, but it is undoubtedly a serious problem for which Udoka currently lacks a clear plan.
Rockets Must Fill Playing Time
VanVleet`s loss significantly lowers the Rockets` statistical win projections. Preliminary calculations, made before the injury, had Houston ranked fourth in the NBA for expected wins. Replacing VanVleet with players like Sheppard and Aaron Holiday, along with increased minutes for Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr., reduces this projection by nearly four wins. Even if Thompson steps into the starting point guard role, the Rockets will still need to redistribute the minutes he would have played elsewhere. This will likely lead to much larger roles for Sheppard and Holiday. Projections suggest that Houston might feel VanVleet`s absence more on the defensive end than on offense. His solid presence was an underrated factor in the Rockets` defense, which ranked seventh in the league. Without VanVleet, the Rockets are projected to finish seventh in offensive rating and eleventh in defensive rating, remaining in contention for home-court advantage. However, they no longer appear to be the immediate threat to the Thunder they seemed before the injury.
Don`t Expect Backcourt Reinforcements
Houston has an open roster spot and will likely apply for a $12.5 million disabled player exception. If the NBA confirms VanVleet is out until mid-June, this exception would allow them to sign or trade for a player on a one-year contract. However, even with this exception, Houston would be unable to sign a player (like former Rockets guard Russell Westbrook, for example) due to being just $1.25 million below the first apron, a hard cap imposed by their summer transactions. The Rockets could make a trade to address VanVleet`s absence, possessing five tradeable first-round picks. However, Houston`s main challenge is a lack of tradeable contracts. Eight players signed this summer cannot be traded until mid-December, and two of them have trade veto rights. Furthermore, Jabari Smith Jr. has a “poison pill” restriction in his contract, making a trade extremely complicated. Thus, only a few players, including Durant, Sengun, Thompson, Sheppard, and Eason, are available for trade, but their combined contract value is not high.
