Fred VanVleet's Absence is Starting to Affect the Rockets

Houston's rough month of basketball has been punctuated by the absence of its veteran floor general.

Nov 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) talks with guard Fred VanVleet (right) on the bench during the game against the Orlando Magic at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

When Fred VanVleet went down with an ACL tear in late September, many of the Houston Rockets' detractors wrote them off in the NBA's hierarchy. They were no longer title contenders, rather a playoff team whose lack of a point guard would come back to bite them.

Through the first few months of the season, the Rockets were proving the doubters wrong. However, December has opened eyes to many of the holes within the rotation.

Houston suffered its worst loss of the season on Tuesday night, getting dominated by the lowly 8-21 LA Clippers, 128-108. The Rockets allowed nearly 70 points in the second and third quarters and failed to compete on the offensive end. Kevin Durant was the team's leading scorer with just 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting.

There's a lot wrong with Houston right now, having posted a 4-6 record this month. The team has now lost games to the Clippers, Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans, who occupy the bottom three seeds in the Western Conference.

While the defense has been putrid (23rd in defensive rating since Dec. 1), there are still problems on the other side of the floor. Most notably, the offense is extremely disorganized without VanVleet.

The former All-Star helped mentor a young Houston squad last season, playing solid two-way basketball and stepping in the playoffs when the youth got the best of the team. The Rockets got older this past offseason, but they still lack a true point guard, evident in their turnover issues.

Since the start of the month, Houston ranks 29th in turnover percentage (17.6%) and turnovers per game (17.6). The ball handling has been extremely sloppy, and defenses have figured this group out: apply pressure near half court and take away Durant, the top scorer.

Such pressure has forced the 37-year-old to be the initiator and play away from his sweet spots. Alperen Sengun has also played that position, but like Durant, has been forced to play farther out and be less of an effective scorer.

The ball movement is still solid, and the Rockets are finding ways to score enough. However, more often than most teams, they're relying on shot creation via the dribble. If VanVleet were able to direct the offense, then they'd be able to run better sets and get everyone in their natural position. Houston also ranks 25th in assist percentage and 16th in assists per game this month.

If the Rockets can't figure out how to survive these games without VanVleet, or any true floor general, the floodgates will open up, and trade rumors could persist until the deadline.

Houston was immediately thrown into the mix for veteran point guards when VanVleet's injury occurred, but early success mitigated the noise. Now, the volume has been turned back up.