This offseason, when the Rockets brought in VanVleet and Dillon with high salaries, perhaps even the most ardent Rockets fans were questioning the signing. However, now after seven games, the Rockets' record is surprisingly four wins and three losses. It is worth mentioning that these four victories were all achieved recently, and a wave of four consecutive wins has also raised expectations for this team among Rockets fans. Currently, Houston is in sixth place in the West, and maybe they have a chance to touch the playoff threshold.
In a recent game, the Rockets faced the Lakers at home, and finally beat the opponent by 34 points. After the game, James affirmed the performance of the Rockets. It is worth mentioning that he did not give the greatest praise to Jalen Green, who scored a game-high 28 points, but called VanVleet the head of the Rockets. Although VanVleet actually didn't play well on the offensive end in this game, scoring just nine points on two-of-nine shooting from the field, his importance to the Rockets was still seen by James.
In fact, when talking about VanVleet, Udoka, the new coach of the Rockets, also said that he is another coach on the court and tries to unite other teammates. Being highly recognized by the coach also shows that Van Vleet's performance is really good. Although his offensive efficiency this season has been difficult to compliment, he is currently averaging a team-high 14.6 shots per game, but only 15.6 points are on the account, and his 36.3% shooting percentage is the last few on the team. But he's been a great playmaker on the tandem end, averaging a team-high 8.4 assists per game and only 1.7 turnovers, and he's already the brains of the Rockets, making them feel more like a team, something that hasn't been seen in the past three or four years.
Although VanVleet is really expensive, with an annual salary of up to $40.81 million this season, beating superstars such as Thick Eyebrows and Doncic, it has to be said that you get what you pay for. If they can lead the Rockets to continue to win, then management will not continue to receive so many doubts. Rockets fans will also have a real moment.
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