Handing out Toronto Raptors awards after awesome 2021-22
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors can officially call themselves a playoff team this season, as they ended the year with 48 wins and a spot as the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. Keep in mind the fact that Toronto is just a year removed from earning the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
The Raptors have seen Fred VanVleet become an All-Star point guard while Pascal Siakam continues to show that he is an All-NBA player thanks to his dynamic two-way ability. Toronto has beaten the odds and crafted a team capable of doing some damage in the postseason.
It’s time to hand out some awards and give the best players from this team the credit they deserve. We’ll be skipping out on Rookie of the Year. It’s fairly safe to say that Dalano Banton didn’t exactly give Scottie Barnes a run for his money in the Rookie of the year debate.
The Raptors have had several starters and key reserves worthy of some sort of award to add to their trophy case. If it doesn’t come in the form of anything with an official NBA designation, we can at least give them the praise they are deserving of.
Giving away awards for the Toronto Raptors in 2021-22
Defensive Player of the Year: Fred VanVleet
The Raptors went into this year with the intention of building an elite perimeter defense, and the results appear to have shown that they fulfilled that mission. VanVleet has been the driving force behind it, as he’s stepped up in a season where OG Anunoby has missed time with injuries.
ESPN+ (subscription required) showed that VanVleet’s turnover creation numbers are actually higher than what he has been given credit for. Near the top of the league in steals and deflections, VanVleet continues to lead by example on both ends of the floor.
Fred VanVleet has guided the Toronto Raptors on defense.
VanVleet’s 1.7 points per game and 3.9 deflections per game (the latter of which ranks behind only Dejounte Murray across the NBA) show that he is the perfect high-energy guard for Nurse’s scheme. All you need to do is see the plus-minus when he leaves the floor to see his intrinsic value as a defender.
VanVleet is not going to muscle his way into the paint and protect the rim, but his feel for the game is integral to making this very complex, risky strategy work. If they are to take down the 76ers and their high-end scorers, VanVleet needs to play his best ball of the season.