NBA

Why Fred Vanvleet Should be an All-Star

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Feb 8, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23) goes to the basket against Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks (24) during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Fred Vanvleet, unlike any other, has had a unique path to the NBA. He went from being undrafted to becoming an NBA champion and recently signed an $85 million contract. Fred Vanvleet has achieved a lot in his career so far.

However, being an all-star is one of the few achievements he hasn�t achieved yet. Fred Vanvleet had a great chance of being an all-star this year due to Kyle Lowry�s injuries and the struggles of Pascal Siakam earlier in the season. Vanvleet is one of the best two-way guards in the game, and he’s leading the injury-riddled Raptors to a playoff spot despite starting the season 2-8.

Fred Vanvleet�s Regular Season Performance

Feb 16, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23) drives for the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton (24) in the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Benny Sieu – USA TODAY Sports

Fred Vanvleet has had an exceptional regular season so far. He is averaging a career-high in points, rebounds, and blocks. He is also averaging the same amount of assists as his career-high.

Fred Vanvleet leads the way with 20 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 38.0% from 3. On the Raptors, he is 2nd in scoring, 1st in assists, 1st in steals per game, 3rd in blocks, and 1st in 3 pointers made.

Historic performance by Fred Vanvleet

On the night of February 2nd, Fred Vanvleet not only scored the most points in a single game in Raptors history, but he also did it as an undrafted player in NBA history. 

Vanvleet had a stat line of 54 points, 2 assists, and 3 rebounds, along with a career-high of 11 3 pointers made. He also had 3 blocks and 3 steals, which shows why he is one of the best two-way guards in the NBA.

Fred Vanvleet�s Underrated Offense

Feb 10, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23) shoots the ball as Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija (9) defends in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Geoff Burke – USA TODAY Sports

Fred Vanvleet is 10th in points, 2nd in assists, and 9th in 3 pointers made for shooting guards, but that’s not all. He also has a significant impact on the court.

Vanvleet ranks 24th in O-RAPTOR, right ahead of stars such as Jayson Tatum and Demar Derozan. It is a plus-minus statistic that measures the number of points a player contributes to his team�s offense per 100 possessions compared to a league-average player. Fred Vanvleet has an offensive RAPTOR of +3.8, which increases his team�s performance by 3.8 points per 100 offensive possessions when he is on the court. 

On Bball Index, Vanvleet is 20th in the NBA for O-LEBRON. O-LEBRON measures offensive impact per 100 possessions. Vanvleet has an O-LEBRON of 2.68, right behind Anthony Davis who has an O-LEBRON of 3.04.

Fred Vanvleet�s Elite Defense

Vanvleet leads the league in total steals with 55. He is 1st in steals and 3rd in blocks for shooting guards. The positive impact he has on the defensive end of the court displays his elite defense.

Fred Vanvleet strips the ball away from Giannis Antetokounmpo

Similar to offensive RAPTOR, Fred Vanvleet has a defensive RAPTOR of +2.6. It improves his team�s defense by 2.6 points per 100 possession while he is on the floor, right behind his teammate OG Anunoby who has +2.7.

Fred Vanvleet Total Impact

According to Raptor FiveThirtyEight states that Fred Vanvleet is currently ranked 3rd for Wins Above Replacement. Wins Above Replacement is a statistic that indicates the impact they have on their respective team.

Although it is pretty shocking, he is above players such as Steph Curry, Luka Doncic, Paul George, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. By no means is Vanvleet better than these players; it shows how great of an impact he has on the Toronto Raptors.

Feb 8, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23) goes to the basket against Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks (24) during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Ford – USA TODAY Sports

Vanvleet is ranked 9th in the NBA in Wins Added, which measures total aggregate impact. Bball Index ranked Vanvleet 16th in the league in LEBRON. LEBRON measures total impact per 100 possessions.

Fred Vanvleet is a very impactful player for the Toronto Raptors, as he is top 20 in many advanced stats.

Fred Vanvleet is having a fantastic regular season, and he’s not getting the recognition he deserves. Although he missed out on this year’s all star game, there will be many opportunities to become an all-star.

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