3 stats that prove Raptors leader Fred VanVleet is an All-Star

1. On-Off Numbers.

Many Raptors leads have evaporated as soon as VanVleet leaves the floor for a second. Without his ability to get stops due to his feisty defense or his clutch shot-making late, Toronto’s numbers have gone down the drain when he isn’t on the floor. No one can question his importance to the team after how this season has started.

Per Cleaning the Glass (subscription required), VanVleet makes the Raptors 22.3 points better per 100 possessions when he is on the floor, which puts him in the 97th percentile across the league. Toronto scores 5.6 more points per 100 with him on the floor, and the 16.7 fewer points per 100 allowed on defense put VanVleet in the 99th percentile.

The Toronto Raptors are much worse when Fred VanVleet is on the bench.

The Raptors have been besieged by a lack of depth this season, leading VanVleet to often clean up the mess made by some of the younger players on this roster. The main reason this roster has not crumbled into dust has been VanVleet providing stability as a pesky defender and quality scorer.

While leading the league in minutes is a bit concerning due to the fact Nurse is asking VanVleet to shoulder a titanic burden on both ends, it’s necessary to help Toronto keep their heads above water. VanVleet’s Herculean effort in that regard should be enough to win over some voters.