Fred VanVleet hypes up Gary Trent Jr. after Raptors winning streak

Fred VanVleet and the Toronto Raptors are winners of three straight games in the last four days, with two of those wins coming against the mighty Miami Heat. The main catalyst for those victories has been the lights-out shooting of budding star guard Gary Trent Jr.

Trent became the first player in Raptors franchise history since DeMar DeRozan to record 30 or more points in five consecutive games. His 33 points against Miami helped sink a Heat team that blew a double-digit second-half lead. Not bad for a guy making less money than Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe this season.

Trent, who is averaging 18.2 points per game this season while playing standout defense, is doing everything possible to emerge as a member of the long-term core in Toronto. VanVleet is all aboard the Trent train, offering a very unique description of what it’s like to watch him play.

VanVleet called Trent a “rockstar” before adding that Trent is “his own flow” when he gets hot on the offensive end. More than just a microwave shooter that gets a handful of three-pointers per game, these last few games have seen Trent evolve into a complete two-way guard and capable leading offensive option.

Gary Trent Jr. is playing his best basketball for the Toronto Raptors.

Trent became only the fourth player in NBA history to score 30 points and nail five 3-pointers in five consecutive games. Considering that the other three are Steph Curry, James Harden, and Damian Lillard, that goes to show what elite company Trent has found himself in this season.

Trent is going this on a team that lacks amazing 3-point shooting outside of himself and VanVleet, meaning the floor is often poorly spaced. Despite that, it appears as though Nick Nurse has made a very real effort to get Trent more touches and shots. It’s hard to say the results have been anything less than a massive success so far.

Trent is a unique player on this roster. While he might not have the longest wingspan or be the most switchable defender, he’s as lethal as anyone on this team when he gets into a zone (or flow, as it were) on offense. That 3-point shot is a legitimate weapon Toronto will lean on over the course of this season.

Trent has a player option after the 2022-23 season, and he could really cash in if or when he chooses to decline it and test the open market. If his level of play over the next year and a half even comes close to approximating what he’s been doing lately, Toronto should give him a blank check.