2. Fred VanVleet
Much has been written about VanVleet shooting 36% from the field with nearly one-third of the season in the books, and it’s sad to say that many of the criticisms of his play remain extremely justified. VanVleet is playing poorly at a time when Toronto needed more from a veteran leader.
VanVleet’s 8-20 night against the Lakers remains his best performance in months, and even lackluster defenses like that of Orlando are incapable of getting that All-Star play out of VanVleet. The panic level has without a doubt been raised here, as VanVleet seems to be regressing.
The Toronto Raptors must get Fred VanVleet back on track.
With a new contract in his windshield, the Raptors need to find some sort of secret ingredient that gets him back on the right track. Nick Nurse seems to think it’s a mechanical issue that could be corrected, but things may be a bit more serious than that.
VanVleet is making two-point shots at the lowest clip since his rookie season, showing that it isn’t just an issue with his 3-point jumper. Whatever the case may be, Toronto’s lack of point guard depth will mean that VanVleet must trot back out there again.