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Chris Mannix: I was preaching that Fred VanVleet is going to matter. Forget the numbers. Last couple of years he has not been a high-efficiency guy. He's still not a high-efficiency guy, but he is a steady, reliable guy out there. He's going to give you 30-ish minutes per game and be able to initiate the offense. And him being there, I've heard Kevin Durant talk about this, it allows everybody else to slot back into their usual positions. Amen Thompson doesn't need to be the point guard on this team. Reed Sheppard doesn't need to be the starting point guard on this team. Kevin Durant doesn't need to have the ball in his hands initiating some of the offense. It just allows everybody to be themselves.
The Rockets have upgraded Alperen Sengun (low back soreness) to available for Saturday’s game against Oklahoma City. Fred VanVleet (right knee injury management) is out.
Tim MacMahon on Rockets: I can't tell you how good of a mood Kevin Durant was in. And it wasn't just because they won. It's because everything is in its right place. Everybody's in the right role. It was he said, "We don't have to do point guard by committee." A scout told me they've got a really nice yacht that didn't have anybody at the wheel last season and they've got their captain back. That sums up the impact of Fred VanVleet. Don't look at the box score. Look at him just steady in the ship and man, they've got a nice yacht. They've got some real talent on this roster. If they can stay healthy, the Rockets are absolutely a threat to win it all.
Vincent Goodwill: Can you see Houston making a move to get to the top of the Western Conference and playing in May and June? Tim MacMahon: I don't think the Rockets… They've got a bunch of picks, and they're not burning a hole in their pocket. I'll put it to you like that. Because they really like what they have now. Their big move was getting Fred VanVleet back. Another big move, and he's still out right now, is going to be getting Steven Adams back. They put together a team that had a chance last year, and they just never got to see it because of VanVleet's injury and then Steven Adams' injury. I don't think the Rockets are a big mid-season shakeup team. I think they've got a group that has a chance right now, and they're going to let this thing play out.
Will Guillory: Final: Rockets 132, Bucks 100 VanVleet 24 pts (season-high), 6 rebs, 5 assts Thompson 23 pts (10-16 FG) Durant 18 pts (5-9 FG) Rockets improve to 5-0 to begin the season after another blowout win, despite missing Alpi, Smart and Steven Adams. Fred VanVleet had his best performance of the season after catching fire in the 3rd quarter. Clint Capela was really good off the bench. This team is extremely locked in right now.
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"We've heard these stories about Kevin Durant and his workouts and you're starting to see it firsthand about how detailed and how meticulous he is about how he approaches every day. Do you have a story for the fans of maybe something you didn't know about what he does that you're like, I may have to take that?" Fred VanVleet: "Every day just watching him is a treat. It is a pleasure to watch him work out, it is a pleasure watching him work in the weight room, on the training table, his routine on the court. But I am just jealous. It is like his workout looks like how it looks in the game. He don't miss, bro. As a short guy, I just can't imagine never being bothered by a contest, never caring about who is guarding me. I saw him shoot a jumper over Victor Wembanyama like he was 5'10". It is just nothing that bothers him. Every time he misses, I am surprised. So just an absolute pleasure to be able to watch him on a daily basis, one of the all-time greats, obviously."
will Guillory: Rockets injury report for tonight's game in Atlanta: Fred VanVleet (knee injury management) and Steven Adams (ankle injury management) are listed as OUT on the second night of the back-to-back. Marcus Smart (left forearm strain) and Reed Sheppard (left knee contusion/bone bruise) are listed as QUESTIONABLE.
Brad Rowland: Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams are out for the Rockets. Reed Sheppard is listed as questionable.
t: Fred VanVleet on whether Ime Udoka ever smiles lol "Yes but not during the game. The 21 hours of the day he's pretty unserious. He's actually very funny, joking all the time, making jokes and cracking jokes on people. But during that game though it's hard to get him to smile. Always try to make jokes with them and loosen him up a little bit during the game cause no matter if he's mad at us, he's mad at the refs, he's mad at the other team. He's just an angry bull out there, man. But that's why I'm out there to kind of be the bridge between him and our team"
Will Guillory: Final: Rockets 128, Mavs 110 Durant 30 pts, 6 rebs Smith 30 pts, 5 rebs Sengun 23 pts, 10 rebs, 5 assts VanVleet 6 pts, 11 assts Despite a bit of a rocky finish, Houston dominates Dallas in the regular-season opener. KD and Jabari were fantastic all night. FVV and Smart did a great job controlling the offense. Statement win for the Rockets to begin the season.
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Given that Fred was recovering from his injury, what did his offseason work with you entail? Mike Guevara: He tore his ACL just before the season last year in September. That meant that we had an initial goal to try to come back. It’s not unheard of for athletes to come back six to seven months after surgery. There were stipulations attached to that: that the Rockets were in good playoff position, the rehab went well and everything pointed in the right direction. That was initially the goal. But everybody rehabs differently. It just didn’t happen that way.
At what point was it clear that Fred wouldn’t be able to return last season? Mike Guevara: Maybe around late April. The Rockets are about to play the Lakers in the first round [of the playoffs]. It felt like maybe Fred could come back, but it’s a risk. Any time you come back before nine months, it’s a risk. It’s in the data. It’s unequivocally proven that if you come back before nine to 12 months, it’s a big risk. So it was like, “Maybe we should take our time and be hesitant about coming back even if the Rockets get to the second round.” There are certain benchmarks you have to hit. He wasn’t on the court playing in contact at that time. So how could he go from playing contact to coming back into playoff basketball? Seven months out is a tall order to live up to. Once the surgeon said it would be a big risk to come back that early, we made a decision that was best for Fred.
NBA Base: Kevin Durant was a major part of the Rockets’ fourth-quarter collapses and locker room connectivity issues last season, per @BannedMacMahon "Kevin Durant was part of both of those problems. I would say you could even say Kevin Durant was at the top of the list of both of those problems. At the same time, KD was kind of thrust into — I'm not going to say unfair — but a position that didn't play to his strengths, having to be the primary initiator down the stretch of games, having to be the default leader, the guy most responsible for the mood of the locker room. Those don't play to his strengths. Those do play to Fred VanVleet's strengths, and kind of takes those burdens off of KD's shoulders this year."
Will Guillory: Ime Udoka says he does not see Steven Adams playing back-to-backs to start the season. He said minutes limits for Adams and Fred VanVleet will be determined by how they progress thru camp.
