Inside The Rockets

Rockets Veterans Playing Massive Role

The Houston Rockets have a decent amount of veteran leadership.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 26, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) defends against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham (4) in overtime at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Nov 26, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) defends against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham (4) in overtime at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
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While the Houston Rockets have an exciting young core leading the way, they wouldn't be this far without the presence of their veterans.

The Rockets were barely scraping 20 wins before the arrival of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks among others last offseason as they helped new coach Ime Udoka build his culture to win in the NBA.

"“It’s been positive. I’ve said it multiple times about Fred [VanVleet], Dillon [Brooks], Jeff Green, Aaron [Holiday], and Jae’Sean [Tate] has been here. But the guys that we added last year and now Steven [Adams] this year have had a positive impact on all of our young guys. So, not just what they do on the court, but on a day-to-day basis. Professionalism off the charts shows them what you have to do to win in the NBA on a nightly basis," Udoka said via NBC Sports writer Kurt Helin.

There are more guys that haven't seen a playoff series on the roster than there are, so the Rockets will have to truly lean on these older players to help get this team there. While the team runs through the younger players, it's the veterans that will help the team in ways beyond the box score that will help the Rockets get to where they want to be.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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