It took a while for Fred VanVleet to find his footing as the RA for the Rockets' floor of rowdy youngsters but he's settled in. He doesn't overwhelm with size or quickness and his shooting isn't quite as scary as it used to be but he still knows how to use all his tools to his advantage — attacking closeouts, blowing past off-balance defenders, finding slivers of space for himself and rifling kick-out passes to the open shooters around him.
- Ian Levy
FanSided Creative Editorial Director
VanVleet has willingly ceded some offensive primacy this year as players like Jalen Green, Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün havs stepped forward. That has simply made the Rockets offense more balanced and more difficult to guard, setting them up to play spoilers in the playoffs this season and maybe even emerge as a legit contender in the near future.
If you want a role model for a young team with boundless athleticism you could do a lot worse than a player who has always had to win with savvy and effort and pure chutzpah.