The Rockets entered last season expecting to take another step after adding Kevin Durant. Instead, injuries disrupted those plans. Fred VanVleet missed the entire season after tearing his ACL, while Steven Adams later suffered an injury that ended his campaign. Fortunately, both stars appeared at the media day, and VanVleet is finally getting ready to return.
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Head coach Ime Udoka first stated that he had already returned to five-on-five work while continuing to build his strength and conditioning. Then the veteran guard detailed the struggle.
“That’s the case, but no, I’ve been, you know, progressing nicely,” VanVleet said to the reporters. “These things don’t always go how you want them to go, how you plan them to go, but to be where I am right now with the season about, you know, 30 days out of the opener, I feel really good, and it’s going to be a process still. So I’m sure what you guys see won’t be the finished product, but I’m in a really good spot, being able to play some five-on-five over the last couple of weeks.
“Build some strength and some conditioning and things like that. But yeah, considering, you know, 12 months ago. I wasn’t able to walk at this point in the year. I say I’m doing pretty good right now.”
That timeline puts his recovery into perspective. VanVleet went from dealing with a serious knee injury and surgery to participating in full five-on-five work just weeks before the Rockets begin their new campaign. NBA.com reported that he is fully cleared, although coach Ime Udoka does not expect him to play in back-to-backs at the start of the season.
Despite having Kevin Durant, Houston still finished 52-30, but its season ended in the first round for the second straight year. VanVleet had to watch the Rockets compete without being able to help them. He also missed the chance to experience those moments with his teammates, instead having to watch from the outside.
For the first time, he will have a chance to play alongside Kevin Durant. VanVleet never got that opportunity last season. His ACL injury came before he could take the court with Houston’s newest star. Now, he is eager to see what the new group can become.
“Yeah, I mean him and the rest of the guys. It’s a lot of new guys. I mean, if you think about it, I haven’t really played with Reed as we talked about that this week. So we have a completely new group. I think that was lost in the shuffle last year was how new everything was, considering what we built the two years prior, and I’m just enjoying every aspect.
“I’m even enjoying media day if you can believe that. So I’m happy. I have a whole newfound perspective on you know, this thing that we do here is that we call a job and also just life in general.
That shift in perspective might be the most valuable thing Fred VanVleet is bringing into this season. After spending a year on the sidelines rehabbing instead of playing, even the everyday moments of NBA life feel different to him now. And there is plenty to look forward to when he steps back on the court.
Houston is in a good spot. Kevin Durant gives the Rockets another elite offensive weapon, and VanVleet brings back exactly what the team was missing last season: experience, leadership, and the kind of playmaking that makes everyone around him better. The team has also brought in a handful of new pieces, which means VanVleet will be working on building chemistry with a group he has barely shared the floor with.
That process takes time, but it is the kind of challenge that tends to bring out the best in a player who has had a full year to reset and refocus.
Even Kevin Durant had already pointed to the value of having VanVleet back. At Media Day, the 16-time All-Star highlighted the veteran and Marcus Smart as additional ball-handlers and shooters who can help take pressure off the rest of the roster.
In fact, VanVleet’s return will also put less pressure on Amen Thompson to initiate offense. Plus, the addition of Marcus Smart will give VanVleet some needed time off.