{"id":160608,"date":"2025-09-27T09:30:44","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T13:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=160608"},"modified":"2025-09-26T22:43:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T02:43:31","slug":"what-history-says-about-the-rockets-vanvleet-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/09\/27\/what-history-says-about-the-rockets-vanvleet-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"What History Says About The Rockets’ VanVleet Injury"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Houston Rockets looked poised to blow the NBA away this season. They were planning an opening night<\/a> invasion of the contender’s club, taking on the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. However, fate dealt them a devastating setback. Their starting (and more or less only<\/a>) point guard, Fred VanVleet<\/a>, will be out for the season<\/a> with a torn ACL. Still-hopeful Rockets fans must look to history for some examples of aspiring contenders who faced lift-off malfunctions.<\/p>\n

What History Says About The Rockets’ VanVleet Injury<\/h2>\n

The Opening Night Calamity<\/h3>\n

Few can forget the Boston Celtics \u201csuper team\u201d that never was. Live dribble revolutionary Kyrie Irving<\/a> was to be flanked by All-Stars Gordon Hayward<\/a> and Al Horford<\/a>. The hype wasn’t just around the three fringe All-Stars that made up its core, but the tremendous glut of depth that existed behind them. That depth would be tested when the prized jewel free agent, Hayward, fractured his leg on opening night. This was the 2017-18 season, Jayson Tatum<\/a>‘s rookie year. Tatum and 2017-18 sophomore Jaylen Brown<\/a> would eventually bring a championship to the franchise in 2023-24. That same season proved to be Hayward’s last before retirement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Houston’s situation has some passing similarities. Despite the setback, the Rockets still have depth and a premier isolation scorer in Kevin Durant<\/a>. They also have a couple of young build-around talents in Alperen Sengun<\/a> and Amen Thompson<\/a>. They aren’t a rookie and a sophomore, but like Tatum and Brown, they’re expected to stay put for the foreseeable future. Even if the Rockets’ chances at a title are stymied for this season, any progress in the playoffs at all would be huge for these two young stars.<\/p>\n

The Rockets also have an actual sophomore who will certainly be put to the test by the VanVleet injury. After an underwhelming rookie season, Reed Sheppard<\/a> will get plenty of opportunities<\/a> in year two. The 2017-18 playoffs were a coming-out party for Tatum and Brown. They made the conference finals despite also losing Irving before the first round. A breakout season from Sheppard would certainly cure a lot of Houston headaches. If it doesn’t materialize, the Rockets could be in for a bumpy ride. Will it be too much to put on the young player’s shoulders?<\/p>\n