Fred VanVleet has very brutal take on Raptors’ recent struggles

There isn’t much good to discuss when analyzing the Toronto Raptors in their last couple of games, as whatever positive can be gleaned from wins against the Mavericks Cavaliers were undone by horrendous losses against the New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets. Fred VanVleet is at the center of both these defeats.

Not only has VanVleet scored a combined 12 points in these games, but a defense he leads has given up 40 points in consecutive first quarters. The scorelines don’t look like blowouts, but they are the result of fake comebacks after Brooklyn and New Orleans took their foot off the gas.

Apparently, Edmond Sumner and the reactivated TJ Warren are just too tough for this defense.

With Toronto now standing at 11-11 and facing a very daunting schedule in the next few games, it is imperative that Nick Nurse’s team figure out what has been going so wrong lately. VanVleet was not pulling any punches after the loss, as he was frank to a fault when discussing the state of the Raptors.

“We suck right now,” said VanVleet in his postgame media availability. Honestly, it’s hard to disagree with him. What else can you say about a team that was down 36 points in the second quarter to a team that came into this game with a nearly identical record?

Fred VanVleet thinks the Toronto Raptors “suck” right now.

As harsh as this may sound, VanVleet himself needs to step up and lead by example. VanVleet is shooting just 36.5% from the field this season. Since the loss to the Thunder on November 11, he is making a pathetic 31% of his shots from the field and 24.5% of his 3-pointers despite attempting eight per game.

The Raptors have been, to steal a phrase that all the young whippersnappers seem to have adopted, “mid” this season. The squad hasn’t had a winning streak or losing streak longer than two games, keeping them firmly embedded in the play-in hunt.

The Raptors have been bombarded with injuries, while key players like Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr. have not been able to consistently take off on the offensive side of the ball. They should be credited for winning under adverse circumstances, but losing like this with most of the team’s heavy hitters in the lineup is shocking.

Pascal Siakam may be the team’s best player, but VanVleet has taken on a leadership role since Kyle Lowry’s departure. If ever there was a time for a cool-hand veteran to come in and ensure everyone is stable amid some turbulence, now is a pretty good time.