Is Fred VanVleet Rockets' 'Best New Weapon?'
The Houston Rockets made a splash in the NBA Draft this offseason, as they selected Overtime Elite point forward Amen Thompson and Villanova small forward Cam Whitmore in the first round.
Houston made an even bigger splash in the free agency pool shortly after, as they signed former Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet to a three-year, $130 million deal and Memphis Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks to a four-year, $180 million deal.
All four of them fit into new Rockets coach Ime Udoka's defensive play-style, an area that Houston really struggled in last season.
In his lone season coaching the Celtics in 2021-22, Udoka preached defense as Boston had the best defensive rating in the NBA (106.2). Udoka was hired by Houston in April, hoping he extends his defensive prowess, putting an end to the Rockets' 3-year skid at the bottom tier of the NBA.
Of all the additions that the Rockets made this offseason, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley believes that VanVleet is the "best new weapon" of the two-way players.
"Houston was never going to take the next step in the maturation process without significantly improving its defense and distribution," Bleacher Report writes. "VanVleet will immediately impact both areas. He is a dogged defender...and a shrew decision-maker who just put a canyon between his average assists (7.2) and turnovers (2.0)."
Buckley explained that VanVleet's shooting numbers aren't his strong suit, but a few other Rockets can make up for it with the point guard's playmaking abilities.
"The Rockets have players who can move the scoreboard inside the arc," Bleacher Report writes. "And those players should be sharper than ever with a lead guard like VanVleet continually finding them in the right spots."
You can follow Hunter De Siver on Twitter @HunterDeSiver.
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