Stop me if you've heard this before, but Fred VanVleet took another step up this year.
You know the story by now, right? From undrafted, to a role player, to a starter, to a champion, most of you have been around long enough to know VanVleet's journey. But what he did this season is truly remarkable even for him.
He became an All-Star.
It all happened so quickly that some may have let the moment fly by without truly appreciating what VanVleet did this season. There are only 24 players (barring injuries) who can call themselves an All-Star in any given season and VanVleet entered that exclusive class in 2021-22. That's special and that alone should have earned VanVleet top marks on his report card this season, but he did something else that secured top-of-the-class recognition this year.
He became the franchise's captain.
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Taking over as the face of the franchise isn't easy. Many have attempted it and failed miserably. VanVleet not only had to take over as the face of the franchise this season, but he had to do it in place of the greatest player the franchise had ever seen, Kyle Lowry. He had to maintain the level of excellence that Lowry helped set. He had to become the vocal leader in the locker room. He had to remain calm in good times — keeping preceptive on the bigger tasks at hand — and had to be a constant source of encouragement in the bad times.
The All-Star leap on its own is tough and few players ever get there. Even fewer can take on the added pressure of having to be the voice of a team, a city and ultimately, a country, on top of that and still perform at an All-Star level. That's what we saw out of VanVleet this season and whether you're a Raptors fan or not you shouldn't take it for granted.
🌟 1st time #NBAAllStar Fred VanVleet greets Drake in Toronto
— NBA (@NBA) February 4, 2022
cc: @Raptors #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/lwPjyHPGrI
VanVleet's production on the surface didn't change much year over year. He improved slightly on his career-high averages from 2020-21 to 2021-22 to post new highs of 20.3 points, 6.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds. He shot well from 3-point range, once again knocking down 37.7 percent on 9.9 attempts per game, and he added to his bag of tricks. VanVleet added a stepback 3, which he shot at a 57.5 percent clip this season. That stepback 3 will be significant for VanVleet going forward, as there were question marks surrounding his ability to create his own shot. For the role he's in now, the 28-year-old will need to consistently find ways to get his looks off if he plans on following up on his stellar year to give the Raptors more punch offensively.
Fred VanVleet breaks Kyle Lowry's @Raptors franchise-record for three-pointers made in a single season! #WeTheNorth
— NBA (@NBA) April 3, 2022
Live Now on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/RgYVlca5Uy
VanVleet's usage also jumped in the clutch this season to a team-high 26.2 percent. It's part of the responsibility of being the guy and he'll have to continue to show he can produce at a consistent level in the highest role.
Defensively, VanVleet put forth another season worthy of All-Defensive team consideration. With him on the floor, the Raptors had a defensive rating of 108.5. Without him on the floor, that number jumped to 110.4. That's the difference between having a top-five defense this season and one that fell just outside of the top 10.
VanVleet was a pest all season long for opposing teams, finishing second in total deflections behind Spurs All-Star Dejounte Murray. Only his teammate Gary Trent Jr. recovered more defensive loose balls than him all season. Simply put, VanVleet was one of the best defensive guards all season.
When you step back and take a look at VanVleet's 2021-22 season, you see a slight uptick in production. You see the impact defensively. You see the All-Star nod and the evolution into the team's leader.
It's hard to imagine this season could have gone any better for VanVleet, even with the injuries he suffered towards the end of it.
It's going to be hard for him to top this year, but Raptors fans have come to expect the unexpected when it comes to Fred VanVleet.
Grade: A
