Snatched from the Raptors for $128 million over the next three years, Fred VanVleet was he attracted at (too) high a price, despite common sense? New Rockets coach, Ime Udoka doesn’t think so in the least. Quite the contrary…
“He talks a little with everyone. And immediately »savors Ime Udoka in the Houston Chronicle. “He spends a lot of his summers in LA, so him and Jalen [Green] and some of the guys already know each other and have worked together before. But here, he talks to everyone. Not just young guards like Amen [Thompson] and Jalen. He will also advise players on “two-way contracts”, interiors, including Alperen [Sengun]. He’s really the leader of the whole group, he talks a lot to the team. »
“The more you play, the less you have to talk”
NBA champion with the Raptors in 2019 and All-Star in 2022, Fred VanVleet is the very embodiment of the player who built himself alone, through the strength of his work and his resilience, after his release from Wichita State in 2016 without be drafted.
Better yet, a leader with a big heart, FVV has already hit the Texan locker room, notably offering a small bag of welcome gifts to each of his teammates, before leaving for the training camp in Lake Charles (in neighboring Louisiana). , including headphones but also Crocs and other nice goodies.
“I have always been a leader in the teams I have been on. But the more you play, the less you have to talk,” believes Fred VanVleet. “You lead by example. I know which team I fall into and I try to fill their leadership gaps. During training camp, we had a lot of opportunities to adjust, correct, advise, give confidence. I try to fill these gaps. »
Fred VanVleet’s journey is inspiring
Whether it’s Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, who are supposed to embody the future of Houston, but also Jabari Smith Jr. at position 4, Fred VanVleet unites everyone at the Rockets. Even Nate Williams, a bench player who fought to land a two-way contract…
“I was one of those guys, and I’ll never forget it. I know where I come from ! », he adds. “A lot of my teammates now know my story. They saw that I went from the end of the bench to what I am today and they ask me questions. I’m always happy to answer them and talk about my experience. »
With a full squad of young talents just waiting to learn, Fred VanVleet was certainly paid dearly for his arrival in Houston. But the expected progress in Green, Smith and Sengun but also the rookies Thompson and Whitmore are also linked to the arrival of veterans, capable of supervising and guiding them.
“It’s almost natural for him,” concludes Ime Udoka. “We encourage some guys to do it. Jeff [Green] does it quite well. Dillon [Brooks] is not the vocal leader type, he rather sets an example on the field, where he is obviously demonstrative. But for Fred, it happens naturally. And it will be crucial for our collective development. But all three were very good at advising, through their professionalism and work ethic. It influences young people in a good way. They even took time to have dinner with some of them to get them used to this winning mentality. »
| Fred VanVleet | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2016-17 | TOR | 37 | 8 | 35.1 | 37.9 | 81.8 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 2.9 |
| 2017-18 | TOR | 76 | 20 | 42.6 | 41.4 | 83.2 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 8.6 |
| 2018-19 | TOR | 64 | 28 | 41.0 | 37.8 | 84.3 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 11.0 |
| 2019-20 | TOR | 54 | 36 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 84.8 | 0.3 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 6.6 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 17.6 |
| 2020-21 | TOR | 52 | 37 | 38.9 | 36.6 | 88.5 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 6.3 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 19.6 |
| 2021-22 | TOR | 65 | 38 | 40.3 | 37.7 | 87.4 | 0.7 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 6.7 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 20.3 |
| 2022-23 | TOR | 69 | 37 | 39.3 | 34.2 | 89.8 | 0.4 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 7.2 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 19.4 |
| Total | 417 | 30 | 40.2 | 37.3 | 86.9 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 5.3 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 14.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
