Raptors: 3 things Fred VanVleet must do to become an All-Star in 2021
![Apr 26, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (right) and Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (left) look on before the beginning of the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports Apr 26, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (right) and Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (left) look on before the beginning of the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/516a99338f9494acbf866fdd0584e5c12a5375dd26c86cb59e9bdecbc77b82d5.jpg)
3. Raise his 3-point shooting percentage.
VanVleet averaged 9.3 3-point attempts per game last season, shooting 36.6%. Imagine if that percentage gets near 40. Scary, I know.
His scoring average would go up, but the court would open up as well. How many more assists would he have if teams had to throw double teams at him to run him off the arc? How dangerous would he be if defenders felt obligated to jump at every shot fake?
Efficiency was the one issue with VanVleet last year, and improving that by even a little could help send him to Cleveland.
Fred VanVleet's 54 points on Tuesday night were the most PTS scored in a game in NBA history by an undrafted player. Moses Malone previously held that record with 53 points for the Houston Rockets in February of 1982. #NBAVault pic.twitter.com/c1laXaM5RY
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) February 4, 2021
Toronto Raptors stud Fred VanVleet is an elite offensive player.
The same could be said for a lot of players, but 3-point shooting is especially important for someone at VanVleet’s height. Everyone knows that threes and layups are the most efficient ways to put up points, but they’re also the easiest ways for shorter players to score.
The Raptors will put up a lot of threes (they were 4th in attempts last year), but can VanVleet raise his percentage? This would almost guarantee him a spot on the All-Star teamVanVleet’s spot on the all-star team would be undeniable at that point. We might even say he’s surpassed Lowry, not just taken his spot on the All-Star team.
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