Rockets' Fred VanVleet Draws Unfavorable Point Guard Ranking

Is it fair?

Apr 9, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) handles the ball against Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz (20) during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Fred VanVleet's first season with the Houston Rockets went about how one would've imagined. The NBA champion brought professionalism and veteran leadership to a very young ball club.

Which is exavtly what he was brought in to do. The former All-Star was one of the best players in assists-to-turnovers, which is generally regarded as the best gauge of a true point guard.

The 30-year-old also ranked as one of the league's better long-range shooters, based on volume, making 38.7 percent from deep on eight attempts. In addition, his 8.1 assists were a career-best.

However, Sir Charles in Charge's Michael Saenz ranked him considerably low in their point guard rankings, as the Rockets floor general came in as the league's 18th-best point guard.

The rationale is below.

"There was a time when Fred VanVleet was considered a much better starting point guard than ranked No. 18 in the NBA. However, he's somewhat fell out of the limelight as he made the move from a playoff contender in Toronto to a rebuilding team in Houston. In a vacuum, VanVleet is still a really good player. However, it's his concerns in offensive efficiency and on the defensive end that are going to force him to drop in these standings. He's almost at the point where Father Time is going to be knocking on his window and for an undersized guard, the fall from grace could end up being substantial.

VanVleet still has a few more years of good play. I'm just not sure those will be best utilized as the Houston Rockets continue down this rebuilding of their roster. With a team option for next season, it will be interesting to see how the Rockets approach such a decision.

VanVleet should still be on everyone's radar. But, at this point, you'd have to think that a fall could be coming for the former All-Star point guard."

This season will be the final guaranteed season on VanVleet's three-year $128.5 million contract, as the 2025-26 season holds a team option.

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