Fred VanVleet’s Surprising Role in Rockets Practice Sparks Buzz After Defeat to Thunder

You ever wonder how a player sidelined for the entire season can still be the heart and brain of a team on the court? Well, Houston Rockets’ Fred VanVleet — fresh off a brutal ACL tear — turned that question into a living, breathing reality right after their gut-wrenching 125-124 double-overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. While rookie guards scrambled and veterans hustled, VanVleet was busy morphing into an unexpected coach, dishing out pick-and-roll wisdom without even sporting a visible brace. The Rockets barely missed a beat — or a point — battling the reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whose heroic fourth-quarter push sent the game into overtime. Behind a dazzling 39-point showcase by Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant’s Rockets debut, the team showed promise; yet, with VanVleet out, the looming question remains — can Houston’s young guns handle point guard duties solo, or is a midseason trade brewing to stabilize the ship? Get ready, because Rocket’s next chapter might just hinge on this very dilemma. LEARN MORE.

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