The Houston Rockets beat the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night, 123-107. Jalen Green led the way with 27 points, while Amen Thompson had a stellar game off the bench to beat the shorthanded Blazers.
Fred VanVleet also had an excellent game, posting 18 points, 10 turnovers, and zero assists.
While at first glance that statline looks great, a deeper dive reveals just how elite VanVleet has been for Houston this season. With the double-digit assists, VanVleet has now recorded at least 10 dimes in 20 games, good for sixth in the league.
He is behind only Tyrese Haliburton, Trae Young, Luka Doncic, Domantas Sabonis, and Nikola Jokic.
VanVleet has recorded zero turnovers with at least ten assists on four separate occasions this season, behind only Haliburton, who has done so on seven occasions.
Not only does VanVleet do an excellent job of dishing the rock, he is tied for seventh in assists per game, but he doesn't turn the ball over very much. Yes, he averages 1.6 turnovers per game, but he has the fifth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league, at 4.9.
That mark puts him ahead of Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey, and most of the other premier point guards in the league.
While VanVleet's scoring has gone down for Houston, his 6.0 win shares are second on the team, behind only Alperen Sengun. He is impacting winning at a high level for the Rockets, and the care he takes with the ball helps set his teammates up for success.
As Green, Thompson, and Cam Whitmore all learn to play off-ball, having an elite facilitator with championship experience leading the charge will be incredibly valuable for the Rockets' continued development.
More must-reads: