It seemed like there was a pretty simple formula for the Raptors to follow to wins. Part of that formula was a certain amount of expectations on the shoulders of their stars: Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet. When it came to O.G. Anunoby, you expected a tremendous defensive floor and whatever improvements on offense to be just fantastic. Scottie Barnes journey to impact was supposed to be a pleasure to watch. They have a couple great bench players, a couple grizzly veterans on top of that. They were the 5th seed, they had one of the best defenses in the NBA for a very long stretch. It was supposed to work, even when it wasn’t really working.
However, it hasn’t really worked all that often. In the struggle and juggle of the injury situation – those that were acknowledged, and those that weren’t – the Raptors have lost and found disparate parts of themselves; old things, new things, and done it all while underwhelming everyone who tunes into their games. It has been extremely confusing basketball.
One of the most confusing aspects? Highly effective slasher, Fred VanVleet. A guard who has never come close to threatening as a driver relative to other high-usage guards (or guards at all), because of how often he passes out of drives, how often he misses at the rim, and how all of that is less dynamic than his jumpshot. But, what if the jumpshot abandoned him? Then a metamorphosis becomes necessary.
Nick Nurse talked about this in practice the other day, and how VanVleet’s misses look different than they used to. “Normally his numbers on his right/left, his straightness, are off the charts. That’s the one that’s got a little off kilter a little bit for him. It’s a bit strange because that’s one of those things, once you dial that in, in your mechanics, that one doesn’t leave you very often. That one, no matter how tired you are, how deep you’re shooting or whatever, you still get it to come off your hand the same way with some straightness. That’s the one that is got a little bit of wrinkle for him right now that he’s got to get ironed out.” He expressed confidence in being able to sort it out, but we’re now a week past when this was said, and the slump continues.
After the Raptors win against Cleveland a couple weeks ago, Fred VanVleet dropped the line: “Every game we play just feels like chaos.” Last night he did his part in trying to harness the chaos in a constructive way for himself, even if the team failed at large. And from their win against the Lakers: “When I have success getting into the paint, it’s good to get a couple of free throws, create shots for my teammates, so just want to make sure I was aggressive from the jump and find a way to get us to win.”
He’s had tremendous success getting into the paint recently. In all of last season, 18-percent of his points came in the paint, and over this stretch of 4 games, nearly 30-percent have. Within 5 feet of the rim, he’s shooting 73-percent, which is sensational. On top of that he’s getting to the line for 9.5 free throw attempts a game. He’s been inventive and incorrigible as a driver, finishing with english, guile, and every inch of his body that he can muster. The work rate has been tremendous as he’s kept his dribble alive with CPR at times, while also knifing into non-existent cracks and slivers. Statistically, this could equal a stretch for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – who is already one of the greatest drivers of all time. Of course, ‘SGA’ does this every game.
This is the same player, who just earlier this year strung together a 3-game stretch of nearly 30 points per game and did it by hitting six triples a game. VanVleet, who built the early part of his career on the strength of his shooting, and over this stretch, he’s shot 25-percent from three. On the season? He’s shooting 32-percent. In his career he’s never dipped below 36-percent, and he’s typically roaming between 38 and 40-percent. It’s odd.
What’s true above all else, though? The Raptors aren’t out-running or out-hustling their limitations. One might argue that they’ve ran towards them – either via diminishing returns or a playstyle that leads to fatigue. It’s tough.
And what I initially thought would be the salve for their woes, a good VanVleet game, hasn’t been so. Coming into this one against the Kings, VanVleet was averaging nearly 10 more points per game in the Raptors wins than he was in the losses, and shooting much better from the floor. In his 39-point outburst, the Raptors proved that they’re just as capable of losing when he plays well, too.
Have a blessed day.
