Fred VanVleet's return to the Rockets didn't end with him lighting up the scoreboard. In his first regular-season game in more than 17 months, he scored six points on eight shots.

That wasn’t the story, though.

Kevin Durant scored 30. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 30. Alperen Şengün added 23. If you were looking for Houston’s biggest scoring performance in their season opener, VanVleet wasn’t even close.

But he finished with 11 assists and no turnovers in a 128–110 win over Dallas. And that’s a pretty good snapshot of why this offense missed him so much last year.

The Rockets already had players who could score. What they missed last season was someone who could consistently get those players into the offense and deliver the ball where it needed to go.

Through five games, Houston was 5–0. They just lost their first game on Friday in their NBA Cup opener. That’s enough to get interested. It’s nowhere near enough to start planning a parade.

Still, there’s a real reason to believe that this group has more offensive answers than last year’s team. VanVleet gives Houston a dependable point guard again, and the value of that becomes pretty obvious when you look at what everyone else was being asked to do.

Houston’s Offensive Numbers Needed Some Explaining

The Rockets finished last season seventh in overall offensive rating, but they were 19th in half-court scoring and 28th in turnover percentage.

That’s a pretty good snapshot of the team: Houston had ways to create points, but they also had some real trouble getting a clean possession against a set defense.

Offensive rebounding helps explain how both things could be true. The Rockets could save a missed shot, create another chance, and eventually score. That’s a real strength. But it also means a productive trip down the floor doesn’t always mean the first attempt was all that good.

And you can’t rebound a pass that goes the other way.

Ime Udoka pointed to another issue when he talked about Houston’s approach this season. The Rockets were excellent when they attacked within the first six seconds of the shot clock, but they struggled when they slowed down and ended up taking too many late-clock shots. His answer was to get them playing earlier and faster.

Getting the Ball There Matters

There’s a difference between having Durant on your team and consistently getting him the ball in a way that makes sense.

He can bring it up, handle pressure, get teammates organized, and create his own shot. He’s Kevin Durant. The question is how much of that Houston needs him to do before he gets to the part where he’s supposed to score.

A reliable point guard can take some of that work off his plate.

With 8:13 left in the fourth quarter of the opener, Durant hit a turnaround fadeaway off a VanVleet assist. A couple of possessions later, VanVleet knocked down a three off a Durant assist. The exchange went both ways.

Durant still had to make a tough shot. Having a point guard doesn’t take that part of basketball away. It gives Houston another way to start the action, and it gives Durant another player he can trust with the ball when the defense forces him to give it up.

There are easier baskets for them to get, too. VanVleet throwing long outlet passes that hit Durant in stride for a dunk have been really helpful for this team early. Houston’s best scorer gets to finish the play without having to build the whole thing himself. That’s a pretty useful benefit of moving the ball earlier.

Sengün benefits from the same basic division of labor.

During the first quarter of their win over Atlanta, VanVleet assisted on a Smith alley-oop, a Sengün cutting dunk, and another Sengün layup. That’s three finishes near the basket in a stretch when VanVleet wasn’t doing much scoring himself. He finished with five points.

The broader basketball logic is pretty simple. Getting Sengün the ball earlier gives him more time to read the defense. If help comes, there’s time to move it. If the first opportunity gets taken away, Houston can still try something else.

When the offense is late, that can leave talented passers choosing between forcing a shot and handing a teammate an equally rushed decision. You don’t need another scorer to improve that possession. Sometimes you just need the first pass to get there sooner.

That doesn’t mean Sengün should stop creating. His passing is one of Houston’s best offensive tools. The benefit is giving him possessions where he can make the next decision without also having to clean up everything else.

Houston got an encouraging example of this team sharing the responsibility in the Atlanta rematch. Durant sat the entire fourth quarter while VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Smith, and Sengün kept going. Udoka said Durant wanted that unit to stay out there. The group had earned the chance.

That matters over an 82-game season. Houston should still be able to generate offense when Durant takes a few minutes to watch from the bench. And at 38, saving his legs for the postseason should be something they're thinking about all season.

VanVleet’s return also gives Amen Thompson more freedom in how he contributes. Thompson can still initiate, especially when there’s open floor to attack. But Houston doesn’t need every possession to turn into a test of his development as a traditional point guard, because he's just not there yet.

Faster Doesn’t Have to Mean Frantic

The pace discussion can get boiled down to “just run harder,” but Houston’s issue is also about how quickly they make decisions once they get into the frontcourt.

An early entry, a quick reversal, or a pass ahead can give guys enough time for a second action. That's going to be huge against defenses that are good enough to take away the first thing Houston wants.

Starting sooner gives the Rockets more chances to find something useful before Durant or Sengün has to force a tough shot with the clock winding down.

VanVleet’s shooting is still part of that equation. Through his first four games, he was shooting 38.5% overall and 34.6% from three, with 26 assists against five turnovers. His value was already showing up even without a particularly hot start from the field.

But the jumper still has to make defenders care.

If they can comfortably go under screens or leave him to crowd the paint, some of that passing Sengün brings won't matter. Houston needs VanVleet willing to take the open three, and he needs to make enough of them that defenses have to think twice.

That’s also why Smart, Bogdan Bogdanović, and Sheppard are going to play such a crucial role for them this year. Houston has more ways to handle the ball and put shooting around their scorers.

The Numbers Make You Lean In, Until You Look Too Closely

The early numbers are pretty encouraging in spots. Houston's at 125.6 points per 100 possessions during VanVleet’s 152 minutes on the floor.

The starting-lineup numbers are a little less exciting: 107.6 with VanVleet, Thompson, Durant, Smith, and Şengün together over 38 minutes. When they swapped VanVleet for Sheppard, that group posted a 112.5 rating in 27 minutes.

And, well, 27 minutes can swing on a couple of made threes. So can 38. Different lineups see different opponents, play in different situations, and catch different shooting nights.

But they certainly don't make it seem like Houston’s preferred starting five has suddenly fixed all their half-court issues.

The game VanVleet missed is worth a look, too. Houston beat Atlanta 121–114 while he rested on the second night of a back-to-back. Sheppard finished with 19 points, seven assists, and five made threes. The Rockets found another way to win.

Then VanVleet came back for the rematch, and Houston still turned the ball over more than 20 times. His own ball security matters, but it’s not the same thing as the team taking care of the ball. The giveaways didn’t magically disappear.

Udoka addressed that before the season:

But it’s not just Fred coming back and having to rely on him only.

He specifically pointed to Durant and Sengün needing to make better decisions against double-teams. That part still belongs to them, even with a trusted guard back there to help.

This Is the Part Houston Needed Back

VanVleet’s scoring breakout in Milwaukee showed another way he can help. He had 24 points and five assists in a 132–100 win, while Durant scored 18 on just nine shots. Houston had someone else who could carry more of the offense that night.

There’ll be nights when they need that. There’ll be others when six points and 11 assists are more than enough.

The bigger question is whether Houston can keep creating good possessions when opponents take away the easy stuff. Better defenses will pressure the ball and force the Rockets to work through more than one action.

Can they reverse it and try again? Can Sengün get a clean catch before the clock becomes a problem? Can Durant give up the ball when the defense sends extra help and trust that the possession won’t fall apart?

Those are the tests that matter more than the record in October.

After the opener, VanVleet described his responsibility pretty simply:

It’s my job to get guys in the right spots, help them succeed, and make their lives easier.

Houston had plenty of talent while he was out. Getting all of that talent to work together was a different story.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com.

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