Fred VanVleet will be the worst FA acquisition in Rockets history

And now we know why! ****. This is going to hurt. My guess is that he's going to probably miss a pretty good chunk of the rest of the season. Best case scenario is several weeks. Worst would be that he's done for the year. Stone better get to work fast!

 

This just doesn't jive with the stats.
His team rockets stats are quite good. On/Off +7.3, Vorp 2.3, dbpm +1, obpm +2.4. Team stats all above water entire career after rookie season. Shroeder is a JOKE compared to that literally his entire career. His team stats are almost all negative. Thompson is better defensively but that's it. FVV is clearly a difference maker. Harden is more of an individual impact player with some team impact. For comparison a guy like Westbrook was all about individual stats and the team performed terrible with him out there.

That said his salary vs. team performance would have to be in the epic category to match up. Using 538's math he is around 20m value on a 40m deal. Shroeder would be performing at like 5m value and amen even less.

I would add that there is additional value in FVV's work ethic around the young guys. His effect on the younglings probably highly valuable vs. the sort of effect on them Harden would have had.

 

When all you do is set up a roll man and shoot 3's you better be good at those things. I brought up Schroeder because guys were like "well who else" and that was the only other PG last season that could have offered "veteran leadership" without freezing out development which was what FVV was accused of doing in TOR and which appears to be the case here as he doesnt know how to play with Jalen, Jabari or any of the other young players we have. All he knows how to do is play PNR with Sengun and shoot open 3's. His defense is vastly overrated and he can be swallowed up by bigger defenders.

James Harden is a 3rd option at this stage of his career. He would have offered everything FVV offers PLUS size mismatches, better catch and shoot numbers and the ability to get to the rim. James already had a good relationship with Jalen and I'd bet if you ask the youngsters who they would rather play with it would be unanimous with James. Udoka didnt think he was worth the trouble and now here he is begging for a star. Irony.

Its all good though paying FVV what we did opens up salary matching for a real superstar in the near future.

Isnt it interesting though to watch both James and Russ destroy the fan narratives that have surrounded them prior to playing with LAC? I'd probably put LAC as the favorites to win the championship this year and a good portion of the success will be because of what both James and Russ have done so far.

 

I don't think anybody expected FVV to be a "difference maker". If that was your expectation, I understand the disappointment. FVV is a glue/foundational piece.

But one thing I can state is that FVV won't go down as "the worst FA aquisition". Kelvin Cato has dibs. Although, Christian Wood is a solid candidate. I'm sure we can come up with a few more. Stromile Swift?

 

They paid FVV max money, regardless of why they did it was clearly overpaying for someone who isn't a true max player. But to say nobody expected FVV to be a difference maker is false. you don't pay someone max money and not have that kind of expectation.

 

Freddy is the 14th highest paid player in the NBA. He's sandwiched among names like Anthony Davis, Luka, Gobert & Trae. I guess I did expect too much commensurate to the salary and output of his contemporaries. That was my bad.

 

You realize his contract is unguaranteed right? None of those guys have unguaranteed deals/team options so yeah that's indeed your bad for not factoring that in.

 

If he keeps on getting injured, he would be one of the worse ones though.....even if he had that hot start to the season.

Basically he can never play up to the level of a Max guy.......it is just not possible.

 

It is guaranteed for two years.

 

So the 83.6Ms that are guaranteed should just be chill because we can cut him after year 2?

 

Yes 2 yrs including this one which means he can be seen as an expiring next year already.

 

What makes you think he is chilling? He is putting up 18/8 and 37% 3 pt on 7 attempts. That's chilling to you? You act like he is some kind of scrub out there wtf.

I'm just pointing out you are wrong comparing him to guys like Gobert cuz Gobert is tied to a 5 yr deal whereas FVV got paid more than market rate cuz he is a team option after next year. To act like FVV is overpaid or Stone somehow messed up with his deal is just straight ignorance on your part.

 

Max guys don't sign team options.

Basically FVV took an additional 10-15M to only have a 2 yr guaranteed deal. "If he keeps getting injured" isn't this like his first major injury for the season? Also if he keeps getting injured he will be an expiring next year which is the whole point of signing him to his deal to begin with.

 

Ok

 

FVV is overpaid, that much is without question. Whether or not Stone messed up, since Udoka wanted FVV I would say no.

 

Capela has adductor strain, Hawks give him 2-3 weeks.

 

If we hadn’t signed Fred then what should we have done with that money? The Rockets wanted players like Fred, and Brooks, and Green to help the young guys mature. It seems like they got exactly what they wanted. Fred and Green and are scheduled to come off the books about the same time the younger guys are ready to take over. What’s wrong with this plan? It’s working.

 

Chalking up FVV's abductor strain to bad contract management is silly. FVV wasn't injury prone so ish happens. Them are the breaks.

Now if the Rockets were to offer Zion max $ on the FA market, THAT would go down as questionable $$$.

Regarding contract management, the Rocket's managed to flip KPJs contract to get some value out of it. So no, FVV's contract isn't the worst.

 

FVV and Dillon Brooks are transition period salary fillers, no more no less.

Considering FVV as a max guy is a tragicomic joke.

 

FVV is also rated as #6 in mpg ...in the same ballpark as those same names. At least they are making him work for it.

Yea, I never had the illusion that FVV was going to be an allstar. If you did, that was on you. His contract was nothing more than timing and opportunity. He was available on a short term deal on a ship that needed a captain. That's it. I think most reasonable folks saw that for what it was. The Rockets didn't need stats, they needed a leader. Sometimes the sum is great than the parts.

Hmmm, I need another cliche.

This is the way.