Fred VanVleet is encouraged by his progress as he prepares to return to the Houston Rockets after missing the entire 2025-26 season with a knee injury.
VanVleet said he has already participated in five-on-five work and has been able to build strength and conditioning ahead of training camp.
“Considering, you know, 12 months ago I wasn’t able to walk at this point in the year, I’d say I’m doing pretty good right now,” VanVleet said. “I’m in a really good spot.”
The veteran guard acknowledged that his return will remain a process, with live NBA action still providing the ultimate test.
“There’s no translation to a real NBA game,” VanVleet said. “There’s no substitute for game reps and live speed and live action.”
VanVleet missed a difficult season for the Rockets from the sideline, but he believes the experience gave the young group valuable lessons.
“There was a lot of positives to take from last year,” he said. “Our group learned a lot last year and those experiences are always valuable moving forward even if in the moment they suck.”
VanVleet also believes Houston can benefit simply from getting its intended lineup back together after injuries disrupted the team.
“This team was constructed to have me and Steven on the floor, not on the bench and not in street clothes,” he said. “I think that there’s a lot of areas where things will just naturally slide back into the way that they’re supposed to be.”
The Rockets finished 52-30 before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, but VanVleet sees more potential in the group after the addition of Kevin Durant and the return of several injured players.
He also praised new teammate Marcus Smart, describing him as an “ultimate competitor” and “big-time player.”
“The defensive intensity, the IQ, and just the will to win, I think, is going to serve our group very well,” VanVleet said. “He’s been on part of some really good teams. So being able to share that experience with the rest of the group is going to help us.”
VanVleet does not believe simply adding talent will automatically turn Houston into a championship contender.
“It’s not as simple as just plug and play. You have to instill those habits,” he said.
The guard has noticed strong commitment from his teammates during the offseason and believes Houston must continue building those habits throughout training camp.
“Our daily habits, our focus, and deciding who we want to be, I think is more important than the end goal,” VanVleet said. “We got more than enough talent on this roster to compete for a championship, but that’s a long ways away.”
VanVleet also expects leadership to come from multiple players rather than one voice. He pointed to Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard as young players who have become increasingly vocal.
“The best teams that I’ve been on have more than one voice. They have more than one leader,” VanVleet said.
While he accepts the expectations surrounding his return, VanVleet does not believe he needs to carry Houston by himself.
“I like pressure, so I’m not running from that,” he said. “It’s not that simple, quite frankly, but I think that we will look like a different group.”
“I’m confident that we’ll have a more together approach and it’ll look like a better product.”
