Rockets' Ime Udoka needs to keep Fred VanVleet in check

When the Houston Rockets signed Fred VanVleet, everyone understood it was a slight overpay.

The Rockets paid a tanking tax. Without shelling out the big bucks, they wouldn't attract quality players like VanVleet. He was brought in to reset the culture, and his three-year deal with a team option in the third year wouldn't be too onerous for the squad.

About that...

Rockets' VanVleet is not earning his keep

So far in 2024-25, VanVleet surely has the worst per-production contract in the NBA.

He's giving the Rockets 12.3 points per game with a True Shooting % (TS%) of 43.1. His Box Plus/Minus (BPM) is -2.1. These are not bad numbers - they're abhorrent.

Watching him has been endlessly frustrating. VanVleet launches triples off the dribble with no regard for offensive structure. He will leave you scratching your head for so long that you start to lose hair.

It's something he's been doing for his whole career, and for the most part, it's yielded strong results. VanVleet is a small guard without exceptional athletic qualities. To pressure the defense, he needs to take those shots - and he's typically made them at a healthy clip. That's allowed coaches to keep VanVleet on the court and reap the benefits of his exceptional ball security.

The ball security remains, but with the dismal scoring, it's almost a moot point. The Rockets could have brought in a low-turnover guard at a fraction of the cost they paid for VanVleet.

What's the solution here?

Rockets' Ime Udoka needs to reign VanVleet in

Against the Warriors on Saturday, Ime Udoka pulled Alperen Sengun. He was having success with a frenetic lineup of defensive wings, and he kept riding their hot hands. It was a controversial decision with Rockets fans.

It was also a perfectly sensible decision. Udoka was sticking with what was working.

He should apply those principles when dealing with VanVleet.

The Rockets are instilling a meritocracy, right? If you're not playing good basketball, you'll find your way to the bench. That's perfect, but it needs to apply to every player on the roster. VanVleet is not playing good basketball, but he's still on the floor for 37.8 minutes per game.

That's partly due to roster construction. Amen Thompson isn't ready to run point (if he ever will be) and Reed Sheppard is a rookie. It's fair to say that the Rockets are light at the point guard position.

Here's the question - is Sheppard likely to give you worse production than 12.3 points per game with a 43.1 TS%? That's a low bar - why not see if Sheppard can clear it? Alternatively, Aaron Holiday is a sturdy hand.

The broader point is this: the rules need to apply to everyone. Sengun is getting benched down the stretch of almost every game. Udoka still isn't shy about benching Jalen Green, either. Sengun has struggled this year, but even he's been more productive than VanVleet. Green has been in a different stratosphere.

If those guys can sit, VanVleet can too:

No matter how much money he makes.