Fred VanVleet unlocked a version of himself Warriors hoped was long gone in Game 5

Since signing him two summers ago, Fred VanVleet has been a rock for the Houston Rockets. He's sturdy, reliable, and a consistent difference-maker.

Against the Warriors in this year's playoffs, that hasn't exactly been the case.

His opening salvo was brutal. VanVleet was 4/19 from the field in Game 1. In Game 2, he took a backseat, but his 2/7 shooting from the field wasn't exactly impressive. Game 3 was better:

But the last 2 games have been vintage VanVleet.

In Houston's Game 5 win, he was tremendous. VanVleet had 26 points on 8/13 shooting from the field, including a 4/6 mark from long range. Rockets fans breathed a sigh of relief:

Warriors fans had flashbacks to a nightmare.

Rockets' VanVleet gives Warriors shell shock

This isn't the Warriors' first foray with VanVleet.

Recall the 2019 NBA Finals. The Warriors were a (seemingly) dying dynasty. They'd been dominating the NBA for some time, but they were running out of glass. In time, they'd lose to VanVleet's Toronto Raptors.

VanVleet was a massive part of the Raptors' victory.

In a close-out Game 6, VanVleet was unstoppable. He torched the Warriors for 22 points on 5/11 shooting from distance. It seems that version of VanVleet has returned, much to the Warriors' chagrin.

It's the story of VanVleet's career. When he's missing threes, his diminutive size starts to pronounce itself. When he's connecting from long range, his high feel and aggressive defense make him an invaluable piece. If VanVleet can keep giving the Rockets his Game 5 level, they may be able to overcome what was a 3-1 deficit in this series.

Should the Rockets rely on VanVleet to reach this level?

Rockets need big performances from everyone

VanVleet doesn't need to go nuclear. The Rockets have a multitude of offensive options. Alperen Sengun has been fantastic in this series, and that needs to continue. If the Rockets could get an iota of offense from Jalen Green, they wouldn't need much from VanVleet.

What they do need is consistency from VanVleet. If he delivers another dud, it will be difficult for the Rockets to win. He needs to give the Rockets solid efficiency on decent volume in every game for the rest of this series.

Luckily, VanVleet is a seasoned veteran. His championship mettle was a selling point when the Rockets signed him. He knows how large this moment is, and he's ready to live up to it.

It could mean reliving a nightmare for the Warriors.