He's back! Recovered from a torn ligament! This is the Rockets' fourth star

Insider Shams:VanVleet is fully recovered... The guy suffered a torn ACL in his right knee last September, causing him to miss the entire 25-26 season.

Congratulations, the Rockets finally have their starting point guard back, no longer needing Amen, who is originally a swingman, to fill in. Amen averaged 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.4 turnovers, and 1.5 steals per game in the regular season last season, and 19.2 points, 7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.5 turnovers, 2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game in the playoffs this year.

To put it bluntly, VanVleet is the Rockets' fourth star, and his tactical value cannot be fully reflected in statistics. No matter how luxurious the lineup is, without a reliable engine, it cannot operate effectively. Of course, the premise is that he can return to his previous competitive form after coming back.

The guy was born on February 25, 1994, a point guard listed at 1.83m or 1.87m, an undrafted player from the 2016 class. In the 18-19 season, he teamed up with Leonard to help the Raptors win their first championship in franchise history. He was selected as an All-Star in the 21-22 season. His stats for the 24-25 season are as follows:

In the regular season, he played 60 games, all starts, averaging 35.2 minutes, contributing 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, shooting 37.8% from the field and making 2.7 three-pointers per game at a 34.5% rate. In the playoffs, he played 7 games, all starts, averaging 40 minutes, scoring 18.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1 steal per game, shooting 43% from the field and making 3.9 three-pointers per game at a 43.5% rate.

It's worth noting that next season is a contract year for VanVleet, with a salary of $25 million. It's easy to imagine he will give it his all, both to prove he can still play and to secure a lucrative new contract next summer.

Recently, US media outlet Clutch City Brasil revealed the Rockets' full 15-man roster for next season. The lineup is visibly strong, as follows:

VanVleet, Amen, Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Sengun;

Sheppard, Smart, Bogdanovic, Eason, Adams;

Thornton, Davidson, Tate, Clifford, Capela.

According to VanVleet, the Rockets are fully capable of winning the championship next year. Right now in Houston, the process leading to the championship destination is not that important.

The superpower teams in the West like the Spurs and Thunder, as well as the 76ers, Heat, and Knicks in the East, probably have something to say about that.