Unfortunately for the Houston Rockets and their passionate fans, they’re probably going to be without former Raptors standout and current veteran point guard Fred VanVleet for the whole 2025-26 season. He tore his ACL during offseason training, which is a tough blow considering the season start is just around the corner.
Now, I think in the grand scheme of sports injuries, when you hear "sprained" or "bruised," maybe there's a little more of a silver lining. But whenever it's broken, fractured, or torn, it tends to be harder for fans to hold onto their faith after hearing such serious labels.
Since VanVleet's injury is an ACL tear, basketball fans will probably immediately think of Derrick Rose and the devastating impact that 2012 ACL tear had on his career. Rose was never quite the same after that injury, and it's a reference that naturally comes up whenever someone mentions an ACL injury in the sport.
Torn ACLs really suck, plain and simple. But hey, on the bright side, at least it’s not a torn Achilles. Looking at VanVleet’s ACL injury, I think it’s fair to say that even though he’ll be out for a while and missing the chance to show Houston his championship-winning pedigree, there’s a good chance he can bounce back to his normal level after proper rehab.
Torn ACLs are serious, but athletes can return to top form with proper recovery
VanVleet isn’t the most athletic guy on the court; his game is built more on his defense, hustle, playmaking, and shooting. I find it hard to see how a torn ACL would seriously take away from those qualities. It was really tough for a guy like Derrick Rose because he was such an athletic specimen on the court. When he tore his ACL (the added meniscus injuries didn't help either), it took away those natural gifts, and no more was the hyperathletic superstar. Then again, Rose was still able to carve out a 15-season NBA career, even though his prime was cut short — that’s not too shabby at all.
Although, when VanVleet is expected to return, he’ll probably be around 32 or 33 years old. So, maybe age and ring rust will just catch up with him in the end too. But, look at other guards who’ve recently torn their ACLs, like Jamal Murray, Dejounte Murray, or Spencer Dinwiddie — they all managed to get back to playable levels. So, there’s reason to believe VanVleet can do the same.
And honestly, even thinking about an athletic guy who tore his ACL years ago, like Zach LaVine back in 2017 when he was still a young, rising NBA star, shows that you can still have a successful career and play at a high level after such an injury.
There’s definitely some spooky energy around a torn ACL, that's for sure. But Rockets fans should find some comfort in knowing that it's possible to come back stronger — maybe even better than before. Of course, it’s still frustrating because during that recovery time, Houston’s window to compete might close a lot faster than expected, and having VanVleet around would have been a huge boost in that regard.