Despite the disappointment of potentially missing the 2025-26 season because of a torn ACL, Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet is maintaining an optimistic outlook as he prepares to start rehabbing the injury.
In a video posted on X that starts with messages in the wake of his knee injury before showing him walking into the doctor’s office for surgery, VanVleet vowed to “knock this lil s–t” out in reference to his rehab and recovery.
VanVleet suffered the injury during a workout as he was preparing for the start of training camp with the Rockets. He had surgery to repair his knee on Thursday, per an announcement from the team.
The Rockets haven’t officially said VanVleet will miss all of the upcoming season, but post-surgery recovery ranges from six to nine months. If that timeline follows, late-March would be the absolute earliest he could be back on the court.
News of VanVleet’s injury was particularly crushing because the Rockets made a big move in the offseason to acquire Kevin Durant with the goal of becoming a Finals contender after winning 52 games last season.
Houston still possesses a lot of high-level talent, including Durant, Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson, but the lack of a proven point guard does leave a significant void without an obvious solution.
The hope, presumably, will be that Reed Sheppard, the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2024, can emerge as a reliable option after playing a total of 654 minutes as a rookie. Aaron Holiday is also going to be a huge piece for head coach Ime Udoka.
VanVleet averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game in 60 starts for the Rockets last season.
