Here it comes! The return date is revealed! This is the Rockets' fourth star player.

Reporter Siegel:The Rockets have no intention of trading VanVleet, and have explicitly confirmed they will keep the 2024 third overall pick Shepard...

Therefore, the Rockets' lineup is expected to stay mostly intact following the trade deadline on February 6 this year.

It’s worth mentioning that VanVleet, who tore his right ACL last September, has not been ruled out for a comeback this season, according to NBA reporter Stein. This was confirmed by Rockets head coach Udoka. VanVleet himself also revealed thatif his recovery goes smoothly and rehabilitation proceeds as planned, the best possible return time is aimed for the end of March this year.

At 31 years old, VanVleet is a key member of the Rockets, ranking just behind or even on par with Durant, Amen, and Shengjing. He is the only reliable guard on the team and has a 2019 championship on his resume. Last season, he averaged 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game in the regular season; in the playoffs, he averaged 18.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1 steal, shooting 43.5% from the field and making 3.9 three-pointers per game.

So far this season, without VanVleet, the Rockets have had to rely on Amen, originally a wing-guard swingman, to start as the point guard. Amen averages 18.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.6 turnovers, and 1.3 steals per game, but has a three-point shooting percentage of only 18.9%. The team’s record stands at 22 wins and 14 losses, placing them seventh in the Western Conference and inside the play-in tournament zone.

Clearly, no matter how strong a team looks on paper, without a true engine to control the game, it’s hard to perform as expected.

Fortunately, as mentioned above, there is hope for VanVleet to return this season. Once this true point guard is back, the Rockets’ current issues might be resolved, officially starting their championship pursuit.

Statistics show that so far the Rocketsscore 117.9 points per game, ranking tenth in the league & have an offensive efficiency of 119.8, fourth overall; defensively, their efficiency is 112.6, eighth place & they allow only 110.8 points, third best; they lead the league with 49.1 rebounds per game, but rank 22nd with 25.1 assists and 28th with 96.7 possessions per game.This is already a balanced team on both ends, only needing VanVleet’s return to speed up the pace and improve their outside shooting.

To put it simply, the Rockets at full strength are among the top contenders for the championship.