Rockets Aren't Struggling to Play Make Without Fred VanVleet

When the Houston Rockets lost Fred VanVleet due to an ACL tear before the preseason kicked off, so many questions came up about their offense. That's exactly what resulted in an early playoff exit last season despite being the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with 52 wins.

The acquisition of Kevin Durant calmed a lot of people down, as the Rockets got a proven star who can take over in the scoring department late in games. Still, not having a veteran floor general in VanVleet, with an already-thin guard, created concern leading up to opening night.

Through five games, Houston is 3-2. Just based on the record and prior knowledge, it seems like those concerns regarding VanVleet's absence would be the reason for the .600 winning percentage. However, the offense has been better than ever, even without the former All-Star.

The Rockets own the top offense in the league with a 126.5 rating averaging 127.8 points per game. After back-to-back losses to open the season, Houston quickly found a groove in the department that the team struggled in so frequently earlier in 2025.

In terms of actual assists, the Rockets aren't necessarily elite in that category, but it hasn't hindered the offense. They rank 14th in the league, averaging 26.4 assists per game; nothing to heavily applaud, but also sufficient enough without VanVleet.

At center, Alperen Sengun leads the team in assists with 7.6 per game. Amen Thompson is second at 5.8 dimes per game. Both of those were expected as they were projected to take on more responsibilities on that end of the floor as starters.

Off the bench, Reed Sheppard has somewhat struggled to produce efficiently, but he's aggressive on the offensive end and should only improve with more minutes. As the Rockets' season carries on, the second-year guard will develop with more chances to bring up the ball and initiate sets.

While VanVleet would certainly be a fantastic addition right now, mitigating concerns on both ends, it's relieving to see Houston's offense still improve with Durant on the floor, not having his point guard. The 37-year-old is averaging 27.2 points on 55-41-85 shooting splits.

Durant and Sengun are combining for just 49.4 points of Houston's 127.8 points per game. At the moment, seven players are averaging double figures in scoring, showing the wide distribution of talent in the rotation.

One can only imagine how much better and consistent the product would look if VanVleet were healthy. For now, fans can appreciate what they're watching at the moment.