Toronto Raptors: Top five performances from a perfect week six

2. Fred VanVleet

Opponent: Utah Jazz

Stat line: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal

The Toronto Raptors were facing a tough matchup against one of the elite defensive teams in the NBA. With Ibaka being inserted back into the rotation, questions swirled about the rotation, his readiness, and how Toronto would handle a top Western Conference opponent.

All doubts were put to rest early, however, as the Raptors absolutely decimated the Jazz in the first half. VanVleet played extremely efficient, leading the Raptors to an easy win.

Over the course of his young career, it’s been impressive to see the strides VanVleet has made as a playmaker. With a score-first mentality as he entered the league, initially, VanVleet struggled to get his teammates set up while still looking for his own shot. Early on, it seemed as if VanVleet was able to do only one or the other.

In this game, VanVleet was not only able to tally 11 assists for his team, but he was also able to score 21 points on an efficient 60-percent shooting and zero turnovers. He also dropped in five triples for the second straight contest.

While there were many other great games that VanVleet played this week, this one tops the list due to the impressive efficiency and the level of opponent VanVleet of up against. As is the story with everyone else, Lowry’s return will definitely take away touches for VanVleet. But, unlike the others, VanVleet will remain in the starting lineup and should still continue to produce at an elite level.