Even in the aftermath three road losses last week, the Rockets remain one of the NBA’s feel-good stories of the 2023-24 season to date. Coming off three straight years at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, Houston (8-9) continues to play consistently competitive basketball under new head coach Ime Udoka.
Beyond Udoka, one of the biggest reasons for Houston’s improvement was the offseason acquisition of Fred VanVleet as a free agent. The veteran guard is averaging 16.5 points (37.7% on 3-pointers), 9.1 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game while providing strong defense and leadership, and assists total ranks fourth in the NBA.
On Monday, VanVleet joined ESPN’s renowned league insider, Adrian Wojnarowski, on a fresh episode of The Woj Pod. Topics of discussion included VanVleet’s massive impact with the team; his Toronto departure; the changing face of team building in the NBA, the new in-season tournament; and much more.
Read on for select quotes and insights from VanVleet’s conversation with Wojnarowski, and listen to the complete episode below.