Inside The Rockets

Fred VanVleet Return Massive For Rockets

Fred VanVleet's injury has hurt the Houston Rockets this season.

Jeremy Brener

Jan 30, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) defends during the third quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Jan 30, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) defends during the third quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet was out for four weeks dealing with an ankle sprain, and his absence hurt the team tremendously.

VanVleet, 31, played last night against the Sacramento Kings, exactly one month after his previous appearance on Feb. 1 against the Brooklyn Nets.

CBS Sports writer Jasmyn Wimbish detailed how important VanVleet is to the Rockets.

"At the start of February the Rockets held the No. 2 spot in the West, and looked like they could be a serious threat in the playoffs behind what's been a pleasantly surprising season," Wimbish writes.

"But at the time of writing this, Houston has fallen to the No. 5 spot, which can be easily explained by the ankle injury to floor general Fred VanVleet, who has been sidelined since Feb. 3. VanVleet's presence was always important, but watching the Rockets without him for the last month has shown just how badly this team needs him. VanVleet calms everything down on offense and gets everyone in order. While Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun are having strong seasons, VanVleet's veteran presence is sorely missed. Getting him back is of the utmost importance for this team to make noise in the playoffs, and having VanVleet return with enough time to get re-acclimated before the postseason is even more important to knock off any rust."

VanVleet and the Rockets return to the court on Monday for a major matchup against the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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