Rockets Need Veterans to Bounce Back vs. Warriors

Two off-seasons ago, the Rockets made the then-unpopular decision to sign Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to hefty, longer-term contracts in free agency. 

At the time, it seemed a corner-cutting move designed simply to get Houston back to the postseason by any means necessary. But it instead worked exactly as intended: helping Houston back to essential contention slowly but surely, with VanVleet and Brooks leading the charge as the most experienced two.

Their defense was crucial in setting the tone for the Rockets as a whole, and the two have been able to provide offensive punches at various points in their Houston careers.

This season has been the Rockets’ best in a half-decade, grabbing the No. 2 seed in the West behind its stingy defense and physical play-style. Again, VanVleet and Brooks were both essential parts of that as two of the five starters.

Despite its success this season, Houston has little NBA Playoffs experience, with VanVleet and Brooks owning the majority of that, too. But on Sunday in Game 1, they failed to stand out amongst the team’s youth.

VanVleet scored just 10 points on 19 shots, adding seven assists and a steal. He was helpful in facilitating, but shot an abysmal 2-for-13 from beyond the arc. Brooks continued to provide his patented defense, but shot 30% overall for 11 points, finishing with a second-lowest -13 plus-minus.

If Houston wants to fend off an 0-2 deficit tonight, they’ll certainly need VanVleet and Brooks in better form. Luckily, the two have continued to anchor the Rockets are various points this season, and could be in line for a bounce-back Game 2.