VanVleet (thumb) is available for Saturday's game against the Lakers, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
VanVleet took a seat for the second half of a back-to-back set Wednesday due to a left thumb sprain, but he'll return to action Saturday. Across his first 15 appearances with the Rockets, VanVleet has averaged 16.1 points, 9.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 37.6 minutes per game.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Won't play Wednesday
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VanVleet (thumb) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Nuggets.
VanVleet was probable for Tuesday's game against Dallas due to his left thumb sprain but was able to play through the issue. However, he'll be unavailable for the second half of the back-to-back set. With Jae'Sean Tate (knee) also sidelined, Aaron Holiday is a candidate to see plenty of run against Denver.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Active Tuesday
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VanVleet (thumb) is available Tuesday against Dallas.
VanVleet was listed on the injury report with a left thumb sprain, although the injury will not cause him to miss any time. He is set to make his 15th start of the season Tuesday and is averaging 16.6 points, 9.0 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 37.4 minutes per game.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Added to injury report
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VanVleet (thumb) is probable to play Tuesday against Dallas.
VanVleet is dealing with a left thumb sprain. Houston hasn't played since a victory over Denver on Friday, so it's unclear when VanVleet suffered the sprain. The 29-year-old has yet to miss a game this season and has possessed a mammoth workload of late, averaging 17.6 points and 9.6 assists in 40.1 minutes across his last seven games. He appears on track to play Tuesday.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Double-doubles in victory
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VanVleet notched 17 points (6-12 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, 11 assists, two blocks and one steal over 39 minutes during Friday's 105-86 win over the Nuggets.
VanVleet handed out a game-high 11 assists in the victory, continuing his rapid start to the season. Although his scoring has been inconsistent, his importance to this team cannot be overstated. He is currently the 49th-ranked player in standard leagues, averaging 16.6 points with 4.1 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 0.7 steals and 3.1 three-pointers. If and when he can return to being an elite steals guy, he should push toward being a top-30 player for the rest of the season.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Collects 14 assists in loss
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VanVleet amassed 10 points (3-13 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 3-3 FT), five rebounds and 14 assists over 41 minutes during Monday's 121-116 loss to the Warriors.
VanVleet's assist totals have been stellar recently. Over the past three games, he's dropped an astonishing 40 dimes. Although VanVleet's shooting stroke is slumping slightly, the assist numbers can quickly forgive any shooting mishaps.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Delivers 16 assists in tight loss
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VanVleet amassed 15 points (5-14 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 2-2 FT), one rebound, 16 assists and one steal over 40 minutes during Sunday's 105-104 loss to the Lakers.
VanVleet came close to reaching his career-best mark in assists, which he set last season when he delivered 20 dimes against the Hornets as a member of the Raptors, but he was still elite despite the Rockets' failure to come away with a victory. VanVleet has posted back-to-back double-doubles for the second time this season and is trending in the right direction of late, averaging 17.9 points and 9.5 assists per game this month.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Season-high 26 points
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VanVleet ended Sunday's 107-104 win over Denver with 26 points (9-21 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 5-7 FT), two rebounds and four assists across 41 minutes.
VanVleet popped for a season-high 26 points, giving him back-to-back games with at least 20 points and five on the campaign. Houston's new floor general has been as advertised to start the campaign, averaging a career-high 7.9 assists per game while sinking 3.1 triples a night. The Rockets have been one of the biggest surprises of 2023-24 thus far, and VanVleet's veteran contributions are a big reason why.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Quiet night in win
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VanVleet accumulated 11 points (3-8 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds and five assists across 27 minutes during Monday's 122-97 victory over the Kings.
VanVleet attempted a season-low eight shots, as Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun led Houston offensively. VanVleet's scoring production (16.7 PPG) is down slightly compared to his last few years in Toronto, but he is averaging a career-high 8.2 assists while operating as a true floor general with his new squad.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Double-double despite woes
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VanVleet ended Saturday's 107-89 victory over the Kings with 21 points (7-22 FG, 4-14 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six rebounds, 12 assists and two blocks over 36 minutes.
The veteran floor general didn't have a good shooting performance and finished with more shot attempts than points scored, but other than that, he delivered another strong outing. VanVleet struggled badly in his Houston debut, but he has posted three double-doubles across four performances since then.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Guides team to first victory
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VanVleet produced 22 points (8-17 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds and 11 assists in 39 minutes during Wednesday's 128-119 victory over Charlotte.
VanVleet's double-double and stout 11:2 AST:TO ratio guided Houston to its first win of the campaign. Last season, VanVleet ranked 10th leaguewide with 606 three-point attempts, but he recorded just 12 games with at least five made triples. He'll look to carry his momentum into a high-octane affair against Sacramento on Saturday.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Inefficient against Golden State
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VanVleet provided eight points (2-13 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four assists and two steals in 32 minutes during Sunday's 106-95 loss to the Warriors.
VanVleet approached a triple-double during Friday's narrow loss to the Spurs, but he struggled to get his shot to fall Sunday and was held below 10 points for the first time over the first three games of the season. He made a defensive impact with two steals, but it was still a discouraging performance overall. The 29-year-old has averaged 15.3 points, 7.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 36.7 minutes per game over his first three games with the Rockets.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Comes close to triple-double
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VanVleet closed with 24 points (10-20 FG, 2-10 3Pt, 2-3 FT), eight rebounds and 12 assists across 45 minutes during Friday's 126-122 overtime loss to San Antonio.
VanVleet looked much improved compared to his performance in the season opener, when he recorded 14 points while shooting 5-for-13 from the field against the Magic on Wednesday. While it wasn't enough to lift Houston to victory in a tough matchup that was decided in overtime, this was a step in the right direction for the veteran floor general.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Scores 14 points in Rockets debut
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VanVleet contributed 14 points (5-13 FG, 4-6 3Pt), one rebound, five assists and one steal over 34 minutes during Wednesday's 116-86 loss to the Magic.
VanVleet didn't have his best shooting performance, and overall, his stat line was subpar compared to the numbers he delivered with the Raptors in past seasons. This is his first game in a new environment, however, so VanVleet is undoubtedly going to improve and record better numbers once he adjusts well to his teammates and a new system.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Leads team to victory
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VanVleet recorded 20 points (7-10 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six assists, three rebounds and two steals in Friday's 110-104 preseason win over the Heat.
VanVleet led the Rockets in points, assists and minutes during Friday's victory. The 29-year-old is slated to start at point guard for Houston after spending the last seven years in Toronto.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Starting Friday
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VanVleet is in the starting lineup for Friday's preseason game against the Heat, Jackson Gatlin of Locked on Rockets reports.
VanVleet was given the night off Wednesday, but he'll return to action for Houston's preseason finale. With most of their key players suiting up, this could potentially be a dress rehearsal for Houston.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Sitting out Wednesday
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VanVleet will miss Wednesday's preseason game versus the Spurs for rest purposes, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
VanVleet, along with most of Houston's regulars, is sitting out Wednesday. However, he is expected to suit up for Friday's preseason matchup with Miami.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Puts up 12 in preseason win
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VanVleet posted 12 points (5-10 FG, 2-4 3Pt), two rebounds, an assist and three steals across 24 minutes in Monday's 99-89 preseason win over the Spurs.
VanVleet's numbers have not impressed anyone during the preseason, but as a seasoned veteran on a young roster, it seems he's trying to get as many reps as needed in order to look his best once the regular season starts. VanVleet has yet to score more than 12 points or dish out more than four assists in any of his three preseason contests.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Scores 10 points in preseason debut
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VanVleet notched 10 points (3-11 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), a rebound, four assists, two steals and a block across 25 minutes in Tuesday's 122-103 preseason win over the Pacers.
VanVleet wasn't sharp from the field and ended the contest with more field-goal attempts than points scored, but that is not an issue that should worry the Rockets, given this is VanVleet's first taste of semi-competitive action since the end of the 2022-23 campaign. The star point guard should continue to see time alongside Jalen Green in the backcourt during the preseason since both are expected to start once the regular season begins.
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Rockets' Fred VanVleet: Agrees to deal with Houston
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VanVleet agreed to a three-year, $130 million contract with the Rockets on Friday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
VanVleet landed the first max contract of free agency, with the Rockets dipping into their loads of cap space. VanVleet is entering his age-29 season and is still in his prime, and it was never any secret that he was Houston's top target all along. VanVleet will likely share the backcourt with Jalen Green, which could push Kevin Porter Jr. to the bench, and VanVleet's presence will certainly make things easier for Houston's young roster. As for Toronto, it will be disappointed to not retain the star guard, but it opens the door for Scottie Barnes to play a featured role in 2023-24.
