Toronto Raptors: 3 players who will experience a role change in 2021

1. Fred VanVleet

VanVleet is moving over to the point guard spot now that Lowry is in Miami. In a vacuum, this wouldn’t seem seismic, as a 20 point per game scorer will give up his off-ball spot to another young stud in Gary Trent Jr. to replace the veteran ball-handler. However, there is more to being the point guard and leader of the Raptors than some high assist totals.

We know VanVleet can rack up the points in a hurry and contribute to a title-winning team, but can he do all of the little things that Lowry was able to do over a 10-year period, both on the floor and in the locker room.

Will Fred VanVleet emulate Kyle Lowry’s impact on the Toronto Raptors?

Can VanVleet take over as the main voice in the locker room? Can he settle the team down in crunch time? We think he can, and we think tons of success will follow him, but there could be an adjustment period that comes for VanVleet.

Trying to assume that leadership and point guard role while fixing his finishing at the rim means that FVV has a lot on his plate this season.

Having said that, VanVleet has built his entire NBA career on the idea of proving doubters wrong, so there is no reason to believe he won’t be able to score and defend like an All-Star.