Rockets' Fred VanVleet Getting 'Change of Pace' in Houston?

Fred VanVleet has the chance to completely shift the way the Houston Rockets are built.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 16, 2023

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are expected to get a big boost from Fred VanVleet this season after signing a three-year max contract over the offseason.

Having a true point guard run the Rockets offense is something Houston will greatly appreciate after having a mixed bag of ineffective solutions for the past three seasons.

VanVleet is one of the best players in the NBA, ranking No. 48 on CBS Sports' top 100 ranking.

"Fred VanVleet had a bit of a down year in 2023," CBS Sports writes. "After making his first All-Star team in 2022, his 3-point percentage dropped to a career-low 34.2% and he failed to garner even a single All-Defense vote. These are concerning trends for VanVleet as those skills are his calling cards as a player. VanVleet practically never scores inside of the arc, and though he had his best playmaking season last year, his shooting and defense generate the bulk of his value as one of the NBA's smallest starting guards. Is VanVleet slipping as he approaches his 30s? Or will a move to Houston -- with a group of teammates eager to create their own looks -- be just the change of pace he needs?"

The 6-0 guard has averaged 14.6 points on 40.2 percent shooting from the field, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals across 417 career games. VanVleet helped the Raptors sweep the Rockets during their two-game regular season series in 2022-23. He averaged 32.0 points on .458/.444/.889 shooting splits.

VanVleet was the Rockets' top target on the open market, and their desire for the veteran guard ceased the possibility of a reunion with James Harden, who is currently seeking a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers.

The addition of VanVleet improves Houston's play at the guard position. He will likely take the helm as the Rockets' starting floor general.

His on-court experience is enough to lay the groundwork for a successful start to phase II. But, VanVleet's locker room presence for a young and rebuilding team will be equally important.

Published Sep 16, 2023

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.