Shumpert: VanVleet's Return Can Lift Durant's Rockets
The short version
- Rockets won 52 games and finished 5th in the West last season
- Lakers eliminated Houston in six games in the first round
- Fred VanVleet missed all of last season with an injury suffered before it started
- Iman Shumpert cited the lack of a traditional point guard as a playoff weakness
- Durant and VanVleet have not yet played an official game together
Iman Shumpert says a healthy Fred VanVleet gives Kevin Durant the help Houston lacked in last season's first-round exit.
Houston finished with 52 wins and the fifth seed in the Western Conference last season before the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated them in six games during the opening round of the playoffs. Kevin Durant stayed durable for coach Ime Udoka despite his age, yet the team's limitations were apparent throughout.
A major factor, according to former player Iman Shumpert, was the absence of Fred VanVleet, who suffered a season-ending injury before the year began. Without a true point guard, Durant handled both the scoring and the playmaking load, and the Lakers were able to focus their defense on him in the postseason.
Speaking on ESPN, Shumpert said Durant "is going to continue to get his buckets" but noted the playoffs exposed the lack of a conventional point guard who could deliver the ball to spots where double teams arrive less often.
VanVleet is now healthy again, and Shumpert believes his presence functions almost like a new addition for Houston. Durant and VanVleet have yet to share the floor in an official game, so adjustments will take time, but the pairing brings considerable potential.