Fred VanVleet’s Presence Missed in Rockets’ Preseason Bout with Thunder

Houston’s floor general was missed in the team’s second preseason game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Sep 30, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) during Houston Rockets media day. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, the Houston Rockets faced off against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team widely regarded as the potential Western Conference champions in the upcoming season.

In the first half, Oklahoma City cruised to a 13-point lead behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren's 40 points combined.

With Houston’s treasure trove of backcourt pieces — including hyper athlete Amen Thompson and the recent No. 3 pick in Reed Sheppard — many have called for the Rockets to offload their veteran point guard in Fred VanVleet to allow 

VanVleet was brought in on a massive deal last offseason, and was vital to the team’s 19-win jump and development of youngsters last season. Now, with the team filled out rotationally, some think his being on the team isn’t as necessary.

If Wednesday night’s game was any indication — where the 30-year-old sat for the second-straight game — VanVleet is still very much an important part of this Rockets’ roster.

Against the Thunder’s full-force starting five, the Rockets offense looked dysfunctional, spraying shot after shot will little flow or rhythm throughout. Guards in Thompson and Jalen Green tried their best to commandeer as floor general’s, but failed to do against a stout defense that featured Lu Dort, Alex Caruso and Chet Holmgren.

VanVleet has long settled offenses, dating back to his games with the title-winning Raptors several seasons ago. Most recently, he was able to steady Houston with a career-high 8.1 assists per game across 73 games.

In the second half, Oklahoma City sat its starters while Houston rolled on with its five, and the team operated more smoothly on the offensive end of the court. But there’s little question VanVleet’s ability to pace to group will be needed in the upcoming season.

The Rockets next take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, Oct. 15. The team will open up its 2024-25 regular season with a bout against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

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