The Best News That Came Out of Rockets Media Day

HOUSTON (OnSI)- Rockets guard Fred VanVleet isn’t back to 100% from the knee injury that cost him last season, but he’s in a much better position than he was a year ago.

“12 months ago I wasn’t able to walk,” VanVleet said Tuesday at Rockets media day. “The injury, from start to finish, the surgery, and then the season was not very fun for any of us.”

VanVleet suffered a torn right ACL and meniscus damage prior to the start of training camp last September. VanVleet said he started playing five-on-five “a couple of weeks ago” and will be full go when training camp starts Wednesday.

“In the last month he really ramped it up,” Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said. “He’s doing everything. Fully cleared, and it’s looked really good lately.”

Rockets guard Reed Sheppard has been on the floor with VanVleet during his five-on-five work and has been impressed with what he’s seen.

“He’s looking really good,” Sheppard said. “He had a move yesterday, and I went up and grabbed him, and I was like, ‘Hey Freddy, that looks good. I haven’t seen that one since my rookie year.’ Being able to have him out there is going to be huge.”

Fred VanVleet on getting his body up to NBA speed, via @JTGatlin:

"I'm not a game-speed workout guy. I don't even go that fast in the games." pic.twitter.com/3MCP3fdiYz
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) September 22, 2026

While the early returns of his on-court work have been positive, VanVleet admitted his knee feels differently than it did before suffering the injury, but he believes playing in games will help him feel back to normal.

“There’s obviously a difference between now and pre-injury, but I feel really strong and confident out there on the court. It’s just a matter of getting those reps underneath me, and tying the mind-body connection back together,” VanVleet said.

“I think there will be an adjustment period. There’s no translation to a real NBA game, I don’t care what type of training you do or what type of pickup you play. It’s been good to play five-on-five, but I’m not necessarily a game-speed workout guy, I don’t even go that fast in the game, so it’s kind of hard to go fast when you work out. There’s no substitute for game reps and live speed and live action, so looking forward to having a good camp.”

VanVleet, 32, will play this season on an expiring $25 million contract after exercising his player option on June 29. He averaged 16 points per game in 36 minutes during his first two seasons with the Rockets.

His presence is needed for a team that struggled at times to get into its sets in the playoffs against the Lakers.

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