Ime Udoka Explains Why Fred VanVleet Fits Better Than James Harden For Rockets

The Houston Rockets’ long-rumored pursuit of a James Harden reunion never seemed to materialize. What does Ime Udoka have to say about this?

With the franchise displaying minimal interest in the days leading up to free agency, Harden unexpectedly chose to exercise his $35.6 million player option with the Philadelphia 76ers, while the Rockets signed Fred VanVleet to a three-year, $128.5 million contract.

Ime Udoka Explains Why Fred VanVleet Fits Better Than James Harden For Rockets

With Ime Udoka in charge, it’s evident that the franchise no longer wishes to rebuild. The idea is to develop winning habits while leveraging veterans like VanVleet to bridge the gap between young ineffectiveness and rising contention.

While ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith stated that the Rockets were interested in chasing Harden, new coach Ime Udoka put an end to the pursuit. In an interview with ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Udoka refuted the claim.

“Nothing against James, but Fred is just a better fit,” Udoka said. “I coached James in Brooklyn. He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around. The words ‘It doesn’t want James’ never came out of my mouth. ‘Let’s look at the best fit,’ it said. If we want Jalen and the young guys to take the next steps, we need them to have the ball. As for me saying I don’t want James, that was never the case. It was about fit.”

The arrival of VanVleet in Houston had far-reaching consequences. Aside from the obvious (Houston is better, Toronto is worse), it had an influence on the Philadelphia 76ers, who seemed to be the Rockets’ major competitor for James Harden in free agency. With Houston out of the picture, Harden’s return to Philadelphia became as apparent as day.

It would have been strange for a rebuilding club, even one striving to make progress, to bring back its previous franchise player at 34 years old and, as Paul George phrased it on a podcast with Green, stifle Green’s development. There were plenty of basketball reasons to chose VanVleet over Harden, given Udoka’s desire to develop a defensive culture and get the ball moving on offense.

VanVleet is a gifted facilitator in his own right, averaging 7.2 assists per game last season, but he’s more versatile off the ball than Harden.

Harden would have contributed more victories than VanVleet next season, but it would have come at the price of the younger players’ long-term growth. The Rockets continue to play the long game.

 

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