{"id":201512,"date":"2026-06-21T08:14:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T12:14:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=201512"},"modified":"2026-06-21T08:14:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T12:14:14","slug":"vanvleet-acl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/06\/21\/vanvleet-acl\/","title":{"rendered":"Fred VanVleet ACL Return: Will Steady Freddy Be Ready For Action?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Houston Rockets were without a point guard for the entire 2025-26 season. The Fred VanVleet<\/a> ACL injury was the cause of that. If the Rockets’ post-elimination interviews<\/a> are anything to go by, the team’s offseason plan is reliant on his healthy return in 2026-27. But what should Rockets fans expect from the 32-year-old point guard?<\/p>\n

What Should Rockets Fans Expect From Fred VanVleet’s ACL Return?<\/h2>\n

The VanVleet ACL Situation<\/h3>\n

The ACL is the anterior cruciate ligament. It is so called as one of two ligaments that form a cross (cruciate) in the human knee, specifically, the back one (anterior). VanVleet’s ACL tear occurred during the offseason between the 2024-25 and 2025-26 NBA seasons, causing him to miss the latter.<\/p>\n

In the former, VanVleet averaged 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.6 steals. Crucially for Houston’s offense, he averaged 34.5% from three on 7.7 attempts per game. That might not seem very good, and for much of the season, VanVleet was woeful from deep, but defenses did respect him out there, and VanVleet’s hot shooting in the playoffs was the only thing that dragged Houston’s first-round loss out to seven games. With even more woeful spacing in 2025-26, the Rockets’ first-round elimination came in Game 6<\/a>. Is VanVleet going to return in 2026-27 as the same player he was?<\/p>\n