Rockets must face painful Fred VanVleet decision sooner rather than later

After struggling in the playoffs without a real point guard, the Rockets have never been more keenly aware of Fred VanVleet’s importance to the team. But choosing to stick with VanVleet in the near future instead of pursuing a younger point guard could be Houston’s downfall in the long term.

The Rockets need to move on soon 

Even if VanVleet agrees to a more favorable contract for upcoming years, the Rockets still need to keep an eye out for younger talent at the position. “Steady Freddy” is 32 years old coming off an ACL injury, so the Rockets can’t afford to rely on him forever.

VanVleet’s timeline doesn’t line up at all with the Rockets young stars Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson. They are both 23 years old, nearly a decade younger than VanVleet. By the time those players enter their prime, the Rockets will obviously need a new point guard after VanVleet.

And even if VanVleet is able to reach his pre-injury level again, he’s not enough of an offensive creator currently to mask Sengun and Thompson’s flaws. VanVleet has been impactful during his Houston tenure so far, averaging 16 points and 7 assists per game. But he’s overly reliant on his 3-point shooting, which makes up 59% of his total field goal attempts.

Considering the lack of overall offensive talent on the roster, Houston needs a more assertive creator at point guard to take their next leap. VanVleet is best served as a game manager and spot-up shooter playing off a dominant scorer. The Rockets do currently have one of those in Kevin Durant, but he’s also aging and shares a lack of rim pressure with VanVleet.

Houston has no other options right now

Still, the Rockets currently have no other true point guards on the roster. Losing VanVleet without finding his successor would be hugely painful. That should make Houston’s priorities this offseason all the more clear: find a young point guard to lead the offense in the future.

Whether it’s the draft, free agency or a trade, the Rockets need to prioritize getting a difference-maker at point guard above all else. Simply snagging a solid floor general who doesn’t make mistakes probably won’t be enough alongside their young core. The Rockets need someone who can actually force the issue and create scoring opportunities out of nothing, both for themselves and others.

If the Rockets keep putting this off, they’ll be in for even more rude awakenings as VanVleet ages or leaves the team. The playoffs should have proved to Houston’s front office that a long-term solution at point guard is absolutely necessary if they ever want to seriously contend for a title with their current core.

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