The Houston Rockets were dealt a devastating blow on Monday when it was announced that Fred VanVleet might miss the entire season due to a serious ACL injury.
The damage that injury does is severe, and Sam Vecenie summed it up on social media.
“The Fred VanVleet injury is for sure a big problem for Houston. They have potential answers (Amen, Reed), but Fred just just such a smart, steadying presence for them. Limits TOs. Can handle. Gets guarded from behind the 3-point line. Pull-up gravity. Great in their defense,” Vecenie posted on X.
The Fred VanVleet injury is for sure a big problem for Houston. They have potential answers (Amen, Reed), but Fred just just such a smart, steadying presence for them. Limits TOs. Can handle. Gets guarded from behind the 3-point line. Pull-up gravity. Great in their defense.
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) September 22, 2025
There were many reasons why the Rockets wanted VanVleet, and they will feel his absence deeply in the new year.
Nothing is guaranteed, but there is a really good chance he doesn’t play at all during the season.
As noted by Vecenie, that won’t just hurt their offense, but will also impact their defense and nearly every other aspect of their plans.
The Rockets have players who can step up, but fans are calling on the front office to bring in free agents who can help.
However, their options are very limited because of salary cap rules and the number of agents currently on the market.
It seems like the team will just have to get by with the squad they have now.
Thankfully, VanVleet isn’t their only star, and head coach Ime Udoka will find ways to fill the void.
This isn’t how they wanted the season to start, but the Rockets are dealing with the situation and attempting to make plans to move forward without VanVleet for the foreseeable future.
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