Can The Rockets Trust Their Vets To Return At The Same Level?

A few of Houston's impact veterans had their seasons cut short to injury, will they be able to return at the same level pre-injury?

May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone talks with Houston Rockets center Steven Adams (12, right) prior to game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are placing significant emphasis on the returning vets playing a large role in their success this season. Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams, and Kevin Durant each faced injury at some point during the season. None of those impact vets played significant minutes in Houston's brief postseason run.

While much of Houston's plan seems to be focused on just getting their guys healthy, major injuries to older players could possibly be a concern moving forward.

Durant seems to be a nonfactor in this case. He had one of his most durable seasons in recent history, despite missing most of the playoffs. The real concern comes from the play of VanVleet and Adams, two players who were counted on to be elite in their respective roles.

VanVleet's role is crucial for the offense, helping the Rockets maintain ball security and getting his talented teammates into spots where they can do the most damage.

Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson are the biggest beneficiaries of playing with VanVleet, as he takes away the ball handling responsibility from those two players. Şengün is allowed to be a roll threat and an isolation scorer, helping him focus more on the skills that helped him become a two-time All-Star.

Thompson gets to focus more on his attacking as well instead of attempting to set up offense without the threat of a deep range shot around screens.

VanVleet provides that layer to the offense, helping Houston spread the floor and get efficient shots.

Adams' role was to clean the glass at an elite rate when those shots didn't go in.

Without Adams, the Rockets still had an elite rebounding team. However, it was no longer historic. Since the offense faced its fair share of struggles this season, the team's rebounding was even more important to supplement the offense.

Tari Eason still rebounded at a high rate, but the regular season didn't feature good enough shooting from Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., or Reed Sheppard to allow the Rockets to have any lapses on the glass.

The issue for the Rockets now is that they must get pre-injury production from both VanVleet and Adams. It may be hard to trust that they'll be able to move at the same speed as before their lower body injuries.

Fortunately for the Rockets, neither player predicated much of their game on athleticism. VanVleet is already a smaller guard in comparison to the NBA's norm, focusing much of his success on his ability to handle the ball against tight defense and be efficient with his passes. Both of those skills have just as much emphasis on his mind as his body.

With Adams, his strength is a major factor that likely won't be going away. He's not expected to do anything besides set devastating screens and bully opposing teams on the glass. Once again, very little of his game depends on athleticism.

The Rockets are holding out hope that these vets can help the team become much more efficient and consistent next season. Despite injuries, these impactful vets should be able to help improve the team's performance next season.