What the Additions of Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet Mean for the Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets made a splash in free agency this off-season. The front office decided it was time to get serious and get better. Houston has been in a rebuild since the departure of James Harden and has struggled to pile up wins. They are a young team with talented players such as Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr. However, they were desperate for some veterans who could come in and push their young guys to reach their potential. The Rockets went out and signed Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to very large deals in the hope of changing the culture and making Rockets basketball relevant again.
While they may have overpaid a bit for Brooks and VanVleet, desperate times call for desperate measures. Despite the antics and whatnot, Brooks is an all-NBA defensive player who played for arguably the grittiest and toughest teams in the NBA. He will provide Houston with veteran leadership for the young guys, toughness, and a guy who is as good at defending the perimeter as anyone. Brooks also stated in a recent interview how excited he was to work with the young guys, particularly Tari Eason. Fred VanVleet is another guy who brings a vet presence and can mentor Jalen Green and Amen Thompson. VanVleet played a critical role in the 2019 Raptors championship run and can bring that experience and knowledge to his new team. He was also recently seen working out with Jalen Green just days after signing his contract with the Rockets. That is certainly a good sign and shows that VanVleet is committed to helping the Rockets take the next step and continue to develop their young guys.
Expect the Rockets to win several more games than they have won in the past few years. With the addition of a few solid veterans and an elite new coach in Ime Udoka, Houston seems poised to take the next step. If things go as expected, the Rockets could certainly be in the running for one of the final play-in spots as a ninth or 10th seed next season.
