After being one of the league’s worst teams, the Houston Rockets took a step forward and finished 2023-24 as a .500 team. They had gone a whopping 118 games under . 500 in the three seasons from 2020-21 to 2022-23. Another step forward has been taken this season, and Houston is firmly in the playoff picture. They haven’t had their full arsenal available in some time though, but that can change with Fred VanVleet scheduled to return on Saturday.
Rockets Finally Expected To Be At Full Strength On Saturday
Fred VanVleet To Return From Ankle Injury On Saturday
It has been a full month since VanVleet has stepped foot on the court for the Rockets. The 31-year-old has missed 11 straight outings with a right ankle strain. That isn’t expected to extend to 12. As reported by Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle, VanVleet will be making his return on Saturday when the Rockets are at home against the Sacramento Kings.
Fred VanVleet will return for the Rockets on Saturday against the Kings after missing 11 games with an ankle injury.
“It just sucked not being there for the guys, not being out there on the court, but some things you can’t control,” he said. pic.twitter.com/dBrBDDlCI4
— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) February 28, 2025
It will be a welcome sight for the Rockets and their fans, as they haven’t been playing their best with him sidelined. While they have won two straight, Houston went just 5-6 without VanVleet. With 23 regular season games remaining, the team hopes his return can help them get back to winning at a rate they previously had. It wasn’t too long ago, they were sitting second in the West.
While VanVleet hasn’t been the most efficient scorer, the Rockets have certainly missed his steadying point guard play. In his 45 outings, the 6-foot guard is posting averages of 14.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.8 assists (to just 1.6 turnovers), and 1.6 steals. He has shot 38.7% from the field, 34.4% from beyond the arc, and 82.4% from the foul line.
The 2019 NBA champion while with the Toronto Raptors is now in his second season with the team. He has a club option for next season worth approximately $44.89 million. Houston also played better with VanVleet in the lineup last season, going 38-35 with him, but just 3-6 without him.
Look To Have Their Full Arsenal
Not only will it be great to have VanVleet back on the court, but it will be wonderful to see the Rockets playing at full-strength. They certainly haven’t been able to do so in quite some time. Houston hasn’t necessarily had numerous injuries, but someone in the rotation has been out much of the season.
The Rockets just recently saw forward Jabari Smith Jr. return to the lineup. The third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft missed 22 consecutive contests from January 3 until February 23 with a left hand fracture. Smith Jr. has now returned to play each of the last four games, starting two of them.
Another player who previously missed a bunch of time earlier in the season is Tari Eason. The 27-year-old forward missed 13 straight games from December 19 until January 15 with a lower left leg injury. He missed Houston’s most recent outing on Wednesday, but Eason is off the injury report for Saturday.
The Rockets are 37-22 on the season and looking up at four teams in the West. They are just 1.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets though who reside in second place in the conference.
Photo credit: © Erik Williams-Imagn Images
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