Raptors: Top 5 point guards in franchise history
By Avishai Sol
No. 2: Fred VanVleet
His chapter in our franchise’s history is far from over, but Freddy-V already has one of the most impressive resumes of any Raptor ever. Heck, as of early February, he has the record for points in a game by a Raptor. He’s also an NBA champion and the recipient of a Finals MVP vote.
VanVleet’s size means his offensive identity all stems from his jump shooting, but when the man is firing on all cylinders, he has gone toe to toe with Stephen Curry in the Finals. A player with so few natural gifts, often the smallest man on the court, has turned into a dynamic offensive player.
He can bomb shots from deep, he’s a career 84 percent free-throw shooter and 39 percent 3-point shooter, he can finish around contact, and has a real sweet handle. VanVleet’s dribble is one of the most underrated parts of his game, not because he’s an incredible space creator or ankle breaker, but because his is one of the most unpluckable ball-handles we’ve seen.
First, and most importantly, he won a championship. Not only that, he played so well in the Finals that he actually earned himself a vote for Finals MVP over Kawhi Leonard. That’s how good he was in that series.
VanVleet has put up these numbers and been this vital to team success all while playing second fiddle to Kyle Lowry. His stats have rarely been empty, and having him out there makes the Raptors a more dangerous team.
Coming off last year’s playoffs and this year being the best statistical season of his career, Fred VanVleet’s place in Raptors history is only likely to grow. The people love him, even if only has one facial expression.