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Since trading Chris Paul in 2020 -- and James Harden in 2021 -- the Houston Rockets have been among the worst teams in the NBA. The Rockets have won under 30 percent of their games in each of the past three seasons -- losing at least 60 games in the past two. And though talented young players such as Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. have arrived through the draft, Houston needed something more to guide it out of the NBA's wilderness.
Enter Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet, two veterans enticed by lavish contracts to head for Houston as the Rockets enter the next phase of their rebuild. And so far, it's working -- the Rockets have won four in a row and rank inside the top 10 for both offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) and defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions).
VanVleet: All this s**t's gonna change
VanVleet, a championship-winning point guard with the Toronto Raptors, agreed to a three-year, $130 million contract with the Rockets at the start of NBA free agency in July. And he made it clear early on that he would set the tone with Houston's young players following three years of losses upon losses upon losses.
VanVleet and Brooks -- the other high-profile free agent addition -- have started every game so far. Brooks sometimes lets his mouth write checks that the rest of him can't cash, but he shut down LeBron James on Wednesday night as the Rockets mauled the Los Angeles Lakers for their fourth consecutive victory. And as for VanVleet? He dished out 10 assists, his third double-digit assist night in the past four games.
Victor Wembanyama wants this nickname
How about the young players?
Green, the #2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, is Houston's leading scorer so far, averaging 19.6 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the floor and 46 percent shooting from three-point range. Power forward Smith, the #3 overall pick last year, is shooting 40 percent from three while averaging 14 points and seven rebounds per night for new head coach Ime Udoka -- who guided the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals in 2022 before he resigned in disgrace.
The Rockets are also getting impressive contributions from 21-year-old center Alperen Seng�n. Not only is the Turk averaging a career-best 18.3 points a game -- he's hauled in eight rebounds per game and has even chipped in 6.6 assists per night, too.
The vision for Houston is becoming clearer under Udoka -- and while it will surprise many if the Rockets fly into the playoffs, VanVleet and company probably already expect it.