{"id":159950,"date":"2025-09-23T10:19:06","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T14:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=159950"},"modified":"2025-09-23T10:55:45","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T14:55:45","slug":"five-ways-the-rockets-could-overcome-fred-van-vleets-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/09\/23\/five-ways-the-rockets-could-overcome-fred-van-vleets-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Ways The Rockets Could Overcome Fred VanVleet\u2019s Injury"},"content":{"rendered":"

BAHAMAS \u2014 What was supposed to be a move to boost Houston\u2019s playoff push has instead turned into a devastating blow. Fred VanVleet<\/a> tore<\/a> his ACL during a mini-camp in the Bahamas, an event meant to build team chemistry. The Rockets, fresh off winning the Kevin Durant<\/a> sweepstakes, are projected as title contenders. Now, VanVleet\u2019s injury casts a long shadow over the Rockets’ championship hopes.<\/p>\n

Five Ways The Rockets Could Overcome Fred VanVleet\u2019s Injury<\/h2>\n

This setback hits hardest at the one position where the Rockets lack depth \u2014 lead guard. VanVleet was expected to be the floor general, and now the team must quickly adapt. Here are five ways they could overcome this season-defining challenge.<\/p>\n

Amen Thompson\u2019s Time Arrives<\/h3>\n
\"Houston
Feb 25, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) brings the ball up the court during the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Amen Thompson<\/a> has been due for a leap since the Durant trade. With VanVleet sidelined, his role expands exponentially. His usage rate, 18.5% last season, will rise as he takes control of the offense.<\/p>\n

Thompson\u2019s growth as a playmaker and cutter will be tested under pressure. Durant\u2019s shooting and playmaking should help, but the responsibility of orchestrating the team falls squarely on his shoulders. His third season will define whether he can grow into the role or falter under the weight of expectations.<\/p>\n

Reed Sheppard Steps Up<\/h3>\n

Van Vleet injury’s also opens the door for Reed Sheppard.<\/a> The sophomore had an inconsistent rookie campaign, flashing elite shooting but struggling against size and physicality. His 17.8% usage rate in 52 appearances showed promise but little consistency.<\/p>\n

Now, Sheppard gets a chance to carve out a reliable role in Ime Udoka\u2019s system. He won\u2019t be handed a starting spot, but his scoring and guard skills off the bench will be vital. If he finds rhythm, he could become a surprise X-factor. He flashed some of this ability<\/a> during his very short stint in the G-League.<\/p>\n

The Trade Route<\/h3>\n

The Rockets\u2019 cap situation complicates trade options. Sitting at the first-apron hard cap, they lack movable salary without sacrificing rotation pieces. Durant, Thompson, Sheppard, Alperen Sengun<\/a>, Jabari Smith Jr<\/a>., and Tari Eason<\/a> are the only players that can be moved but all are unlikely to be traded.<\/p>\n

Technically, VanVleet could be moved after December 15, but trading an injured player rarely happens immediately. Complicating matters, VanVleet\u2019s two-year deal with a player option gives him an implied no-trade clause, which he didn\u2019t waive. VanVleet\u2019s injury limits trade flexibility, forcing the Rockets to wait.<\/p>\n

Free Agency Limitations<\/h3>\n

Free agency offers few short-term solutions. The Rockets lack room ($1.25 million) under the hard cap to add a player before January. At that point, they could sign a free agent to a rest-of-season contract. Until then, internal development will have to carry them.<\/p>\n

The Disabled Player Exception<\/h3>\n

The most realistic path would have been the Disabled Player Exception, valued at $14 million. It allows Houston to sign a free agent for one year or trade for a player on an expiring deal. However, since they must stay under the hard cap, the Rockets can\u2019t use the DPE they received.<\/p>\n

The Last Word<\/h3>\n

VanVleet\u2019s injury is a gut punch for a Rockets team with championship aspirations. Yet, it could accelerate Thompson\u2019s development, give Sheppard valuable reps, and test Houston\u2019s resourcefulness. How they respond will determine whether the season collapses \u2014 or whether the team grows stronger through adversity.<\/p>\n

Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BAHAMAS \u2014 What was supposed to be a move to boost Houston\u2019s playoff push has instead turned into a devastating blow. Fred VanVleet tore his ACL during a mini-camp in the Bahamas, an event meant to build team chemistry. The Rockets, fresh off winning the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, are projected as title contenders. Now, VanVleet\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":146866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,31,3,4721],"tags":[4703,49671,50172,4745,49134],"class_list":["post-159950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-rockets","category-news","category-trade-rumors","tag-amen-thompson","tag-exceptions","tag-fred-van-vleet","tag-nba-injuries","tag-reed-sheppard"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159950"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":159963,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159950\/revisions\/159963"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}