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Fred VanVleet sees individual growth in Rocketsâ injury plagued season
TL;DR
Fred VanVleet discusses the challenges faced by the Houston Rockets during their injury-plagued 2025-26 season, highlighting the impact of missing key players and lack of practice. He expresses pride in the individual growth of younger teammates despite the team's struggles.
Key points
- Fred VanVleet discusses the Rockets' injury issues.
- Four of five starters were unavailable during the season.
- The team lacked practice time before the season began.
- VanVleet highlights the individual growth of younger players.
- The Rockets experienced a challenging and inconsistent season.
Houston RocketsFred VanVleetDillon BrooksJalen Green
Speaking on his personal podcast (Unguarded), veteran Rockets guard Fred VanVleet is offering important context on Houstonâs recently completed 2025-26 season.
âYouâve got to remember, bro,â VanVleet told Rockets Wireâs Brian Barefield. âFor what we built here in a quick turnaround, we basically took four of our five starters out: me, Dillon (Brooks), Jalen (Green), Steven (Adams). Essentially, right?â
âThen adding KD (Kevin Durant), itâs a whole new team,â VanVleet continued. âWe didnât get one practice together. I got hurt before we started practice, so we never even got to see what it looked like. Thereâs no continuity. Our system changed. Everything changed.â
âIâm just proud of the guys for hanging in there during the season, and also proud of the steps that the young guys made along the way. I feel like each of them individually grew a lot inside of what was ultimately kind of an up-and-down season.â
Green and Brooks were traded to the Phoenix Suns in the Durant deal, while VanVleet and Adams suffered season ending leg injuries in September and January, respectively.
Despite the roster turnover, the 2025-26 Rockets finished with a 52-30 record and a first-round playoff exit, the same as the version with VanVleet, Adams, Brooks, and Green in 2024-25.
With that in mind, VanVleet said that if he had been told those results in September, he wouldn't have been disappointed. His analysis:
Q&A
What challenges did the Houston Rockets face in the 2025-26 season?
The Rockets faced significant challenges due to injuries, missing four of their five starters, which hindered team continuity and practice.
How did Fred VanVleet contribute to the Rockets during the season?
Fred VanVleet provided leadership and context on the team's struggles, emphasizing the individual growth of younger players despite the overall difficulties.
What did Fred VanVleet say about the team's lack of practice?
VanVleet noted that the team did not have a single practice together before the season started, which affected their ability to develop chemistry.
Who were the key players missing for the Rockets during the season?
Key players missing included Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and Steven Adams, all of whom were crucial to the team's performance.
