The Rockets have struggled on their current road trip, going 1-2 with a pair of brutal losses in Chicago and Minnesota. Each featured the Rockets blowing a multi-possession lead late in the fourth quarter or overtime, and that’s an all-too-familiar theme this season.

With those defeats, Houston (44-29) has fallen to No. 6 in the tightly packed Western Conference standings, which would mean opening the 2026 NBA playoffs on the road and without home-court advantage. That wouldn’t inspire much confidence, since the Rockets are just 19-19 away from Houston this season.

And if the Rockets are going to turn things around by the playoffs, it appears they’ll have to figure things out from within their current rotation.

Per this week’s update from head coach Ime Udoka, it doesn’t appear that Fred VanVleet (right ACL tear) will return to game action until next season.

When asked about VanVleet’s current activity levels, Udoka said:

Shooting, cutting, moving, non-contact (drills). That’s pretty much the extent of the on-court. Right around the six-month mark, you can start to ramp up things. But, no contact at any point soon, or nothing we’re looking forward to, honestly.

Obviously, you’re not looking at playing if you’re not getting on the court and (going through) contact, this late in the season.

The 2026 playoffs begin in exactly three weeks, and considering that VanVleet hasn’t gone through contact work since his September injury, any physical ramp-up period will likely be prolonged. Post-ACL surgery, the average timeline to return to NBA games is 9-12 months.

Thus, while not officially ruled out, time is running out in late March.

Ime Udoka spoke about Fred VanVleet's progress in rehabbing the ACL injury, though it sounds pretty clear he doesn't expect a return this season.

"Shooting, cutting, moving, non contact," said Udoka on Fred's current status. "That's pretty much the extent of the on-court. Right… pic.twitter.com/LGcFEayQwz

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— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) March 23, 2026

With VanVleet unavailable, young guards Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard have taken on the majority of Houston’s ball-handling and playmaking responsibilities this season.

Should VanVleet not return in the 2025-26 campaign, he is expected to be fully cleared by the time training camp for the 2026-27 season opens in late September.

Over his two playing seasons (2023-24 and 2024-25) with the Rockets, VanVleet averaged 15.9 points (36.9% on 3-pointers), 6.9 assists, and only 1.7 turnovers per game as Houston’s starting point guard. Now 32 years old, VanVleet is extremely well regarded for his leadership and defensive abilities, as well.

To say the least, his on-court absence has been felt, and that will likely continue to be the case until next season’s training camp opens in a few months.

In the 2025 portion of the 2025-26 season, the Rockets ranked fifth in the NBA at 120.5 points per game. Houston went 20-10 (.667) in that sample, good for a 55-win pace over a full season.

But in calendar-year 2026, Houston is second-to-last (No. 29 among 30 teams) at 108.9 points per game. The Rockets are just 22-17 (.564) in that sample, which equates to a 46-win pace.

To say the least, the 117 points that Houston scored in Friday’s blowout victory over Atlanta — while shooting 50.6% overall and 46.7% on 3-pointers — was much closer to the 2025 formula. The Hawks (38-32) entered as the league’s hottest team, having won 11 straight games.

So, what changed? Certainly, there were strong statistical showings across the board (box score). But there was one new wrinkle at the outset.

After a prolonged slump, Tari Eason was moved to a bench role, while second-year guard Reed Sheppard started in his place. The change seemed to pay immediate dividends.

“It’s just another threat outside the 3-point line,” said All-Star forward Kevin Durant.

“All the great basketball teams have multiple guys that can create for themselves and others,” Durant continued. “In our starting five, I feel like we’ve got five guys that can put the ball on the floor and make a play, or knock down the shot. So, we’ve got to utilize that.”

“Tonight was one of those nights where you could see it. We had 33 assists, just because we’ve got multiple guys that can dribble and handle and make plays, and we’re going to need that moving forward.”

Looking ahead, it’s worth remembering that Houston’s 2025 formula involved elite offensive rebounding from veteran center Steven Adams, who is now lost for the season with an ankle injury. So, recapturing that prior form won’t be easy.

Then again, perhaps the recent “jump” from Sheppard can provide a different formula. In his last 19 games, the Kentucky product is averaging 15.9 points, 4.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 30.1 minutes, all while shooting 40.9% from 3-point range.

Houston is 9-2 when Sheppard starts this season.

“Obviously, Reed has taken a nice step and jump, lately,” said head coach Ime Udoka. “But we wanted to have more spacers out there, some shooting, and have different guys that can handle (the basketball) and do some different things.”

“Tari is struggling, obviously, but it’s not necessarily (about) that, as much. He’s still doing the things we want him to do defensively. But we’ll put him back in his role off the bench, let him relax a little bit, and take a look at Reed.”

While certainly not the only factor, it’s worth noting that Eason didn’t become a consistent starter until the final week of December, and that largely coincides with when the offensive downturn began for the Rockets as a team.

Reed Sheppard will start tonight for the #Rockets against the Hawks@SportsVanessa tells us why Ime Udoka made the change

Join us now on SCHN & SCHN+@HoustonRockets I #AllFire pic.twitter.com/8Z0pgo2ohT

— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) March 21, 2026

As for the present, Friday’s win moved the Rockets (42-27) back into the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference standings, which would put Houston in line to have home-court advantage in at least the first round of the playoffs.

That could be crucial, as the Rockets are 24-10 at home and only 18-17 on the road.

But the margins are extremely thin, as the fifth-seeded Denver Nuggets (43-28) are only one game back in the loss column while holding the head-to-head tiebreaker. So, any advantage the Rockets can potentially find over their final 13 regular-season games is critical.

Speaking late Friday, Udoka did not commit to his latest starting lineup being permanent. However, the Rockets will clearly give it a real opportunity.

“We’ll give it a great look,” Udoka said of his latest lineup configuration featuring Sheppard, Durant, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun.

“How many games do we have left, 13? We’ll give it five, six, seven, eight (games), whatever, and then determine what we want to do going into the playoffs.”

The expectation has been, and continues to be, that veteran Rockets guard Fred VanVleet won’t play again until the start of the Houston’s 2026-27 season in October.

VanVleet, 32, tore the ACL in his right knee in late September of 2025, and most ACL recoveries take at least nine months before players return to NBA games. That nine-month window would extend beyond even the 2026 NBA Finals.

But neither VanVleet nor the Rockets has ruled out a 2025-26 return, and even with the mid-April start of the 2026 playoffs just a month away, that seemingly still remains the case.

On the latest episode of his Unguarded podcast, VanVleet spoke with Rockets Wire’s Brian Barefield (@BigSargeSportz on X) about where he is at in his recovery.

Among VanVleet’s comments:

I’m at almost six months (since the injury), now. So, I’m getting there. Getting stronger, getting better. I’m moving around a lot better. I’m getting some good on-court workouts. I think that a lot of the predictions of where I was going to be was made, pre-surgery, and so we’ve had to adjust that timeline as things go on.

But again, selfishly, I’m always going to keep my window open. I’m not going to come on here and tell you, ‘Oh, I’m not coming back. And then I come back like, ‘Oh, surprise.’

But I’m not ruling it out and I’m not saying I’m coming back. I’m just rehabbing. I’m working on myself, and I keep that goal in mind, because I’ve made such good progress. But ultimately, it’s going to come down to how I feel and where I’m at. But I do feel like I’m progressing. I’m on track.

In VanVleet’s absence, 23-year-old Amen Thompson and 21-year-old Reed Sheppard have taken on increased ball-handling and playmaking responsibilities.

But the Rockets would certainly welcome the return of their floor general, which would allow more off-ball opportunities for Thompson and Sheppard. Defensively, VanVleet’s presence could also help stabilize a Houston group that allowed an average of 137 points in two blowout losses earlier this week at San Antonio and Denver.

Even so, it clearly remains less likely than likely that VanVleet returns this season. But apparently the towel isn’t being thrown just yet.

Houston (40-25) enters this weekend at No. 4 in the tightly packed Western Conference standings and in line for home-court advantage in at least one round of the playoffs. Yet, the seventh-seeded Phoenix Suns (39-27) — who, as things stand, would need to go through the West play-in tournament just to qualify for the playoffs — are only 1.5 games back.

With 15 regular-season games left to play, the margins in the West are that thin, and any production from VanVleet — even if in a limited post-injury role — could be significant.

Granted, it could also be a situation where it proves unrealistic for VanVleet to return within the next month (i.e. within seven months since the injury), but it might become realistic if Houston’s playoff run extends until closer to May’s eight-month mark.

But for that timeline to work, it would require Houston advancing in the playoffs. To say the least, those recent results versus the Spurs and Nuggets haven’t inspired confidence.

VanVleet, however, appears undeterred.

“There is such a thing as regular-season teams and playoff teams, and I think all of our dysfunction and isolation (this season), and having to win in a lot of different ways… that could benefit us in a seven-game series,” VanVleet said on the podcast.

“I wouldn’t want to play us in a seven-game series, with or without me,” he added. “I’m still taking us over San Antonio.”

Time will tell as to whether VanVleet is right, as well as whether his knee is in a good enough spot, physically, to help the cause. But the door is being left open.

In the first two weeks of January, fourth-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. went through a brutal eight-game shooting slump, and the Rockets were 3-5 over that span.

But since mid-January, Smith’s fortunes have changed in a big way — and so, too, have those of the Rockets as a team.

In 17 games since Jan. 18, the Auburn product is averaging 17.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 51.0% overall, 42.6% on 3-pointers, and 81.4% on free throws.

Smith’s true-shooting clip is a robust 64.8% over that period, and the Rockets are 11-6 (.647) during those 17 games — second-best among all Western Conference teams. In their previous 22 games, Houston had gone 11-11.

After Monday’s blowout home win over Utah, in which Smith scored a game-high 31 points, the Rockets (35-21) are back to No. 3 in the West standings.

“The last month or so I think Jabari has been catching his rhythm, understanding more his role,” All-Star forward Kevin Durant said postgame. “I know guys have been here for a while but it’s still a different team from last year, so guys have got to understand their roles a bit more. I think Bari has just stepped into his position and been great for us the last month.”

#Rockets beat Utah 125-105@HoustonRockets I #AllFire

Kevin Durant 🚀18 PTS🚀12 AST🚀

You can watch KD's full interview on our app athttps://t.co/PiSfeoLhjA pic.twitter.com/wM6DnamNNs

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— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) February 24, 2026

For Smith, it was his first time since February 2024 to score 20+ points in consecutive games.

Yet, it wasn’t just about the scoring, as Smith also finished with 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 steals against the Jazz. In postgame comments from Toyota Center, the versatile 6-foot-11 forward said he believes those types of defensive contributions often fuel his offense.

“I think it was about my mindset going into the games,” Smith said of his recent improvements. “Like I always say, if I do the other things, I usually play well.”

”I’m not going into the game worrying about when my shot is going to come, or when I’m going to get the ball. I’m just trying to focus on crashing, and doing other things. Playing defense, rebounding. Usually, when I focus on those things, the game just comes more naturally to me. I’m not thinking about it, and I just feel like I’m in a better flow.”

#Rockets beat Utah 125-105

Jabari Smith Jr.
31 PTS I 9 REB I 3 STL I 4 BLK@HoustonRockets I #AllFire pic.twitter.com/L2NkpfPbwp

— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) February 24, 2026

And at just 22 years old, Houston’s No. 3 overall pick from the 2022 draft still has plenty of time to get even better. Asked Monday whether he feels he’s emerging as one of the better two-way players in the NBA, Smith didn’t mince words.

“For sure,” Smith told Kelly Iko of Yahoo! Sports.

“As I keep focusing on the defensive end and on the little things, I think I’m only going to keep getting better. The game is slowing down for me this year, and teammates are helping me. I feel like I’m in a good flow right now.”

“To answer your question, yes, for sure.”

For the 2025-26 season overall, Smith is now averaging career-highs in points (15.6 per game), 3-point shooting (37.0%), and true shooting (57.1%), and his combination of size and shooting allows him to space the floor and impact games without being ball dominant.

Defensively, Smith ranks in the 88th percentile in blocks and 78th percentile in defensive rebounding among NBA forwards, per Cleaning the Glass.

As a team source recently told ClutchFans, “He’s Mr. Reliable.”

For more insight on Smith’s recent play, check out the ClutchFans YouTube channel for live postgame reaction to each game! Monday’s late episode features Dave Hardisty and Jeff Balke.

Will Kevin Durant’s alleged social media “burner” comments affect the Rockets?

At least through one game — Thursday’s impressive road win at Charlotte, led by a dominant showing from Durant — the answer appears to be no. (At least not negatively!)

With that victory and a Denver loss, Houston (34-20) climbed to No. 3 in the tightly packed Western Conference standings. Next up is Saturday’s showdown at Madison Square Garden, where tipoff versus the New York Knicks is at 7:30 p.m. Central on ABC.

In recent days, we had a pair of YouTube live streams reacting to the latest developments. Wednesday’s show with ClutchFans’ Dave Hardisty and Ben DuBose broke down Durant’s interview comments related to the scandal, while Thursday’s show with Hardisty, DuBose, and Chron.com’s Michael Shapiro offers key takeaways from an important win over the Hornets.

You can watch those shows below, and if you haven’t seen the alleged Durant commentary regarding at least two of his teammates, you can read those messages here. Judge for yourself.