After losing Delon Wright due to injury, Fred VanVleet has been getting more and more minutes. And he has been delivering for the Raptors.
The Tonto Raptors are a team that seems to just flood over with talent. Players like Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Serge Ibaka are just three of those players.
One player that has been effective for the Raptors this season is Delon Wright. Unfortunately, Wright has been out recently with a shoulder injury.
Because of Wright missing the last seven games, the Raptors were forced to start playing Fred VanVleet more in place of Wright, and he has been showing that he is more than ready to take on the role.
Although it is just the backup point guard spot, it is still important for the Raptors to have someone they can rely on. I mean, Lowry can’t go out there and play the entire game. He is going to need a sub eventually.
Wright was so effective because of his ability to do just a little bit of everything. Before his injury, he was averaging 7.6 points, 2.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds assists per game. And when you compare these numbers to VanVleet’s, there is not much difference.
VanVleet is currently averaging 6.0 points, 3.0 assists and 1.7 rebounds per game this season. But, it is also worth noting that he has had some great games, one of those being their most recent against the Charlotte Hornets. This game saw Lowry go off in the scoring department, but not too many people noticed VanVleet’s game.
VanVleet always seems to be on the floor when the Raptors make big runs/comebacks. That's not a coincidence.
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) November 25, 2017
This young point guard was able to dish out nine assists during the contest, which were a season-high for him. But it didn’t stop there, because he was also able to add eight points for the Raptors. He followed that up with 11 points, six assists and four rebounds in a win over the Indiana Pacers.
Let’s take a look at his numbers since getting more playing time since Wright’s injury, which occurred on Nov. 15, against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The first stat is going to be his most impressive, and that is his assists per game. He has been able to average 4.7 assists per game in the last seven games, which is absolutely crazy considering he has not seen the floor much in the NBA.
VanVleet is proving he can also score the ball. During the game Wright left with the injury, VanVleet ended up scoring 10 points, and he’s been able to average 9.1 points per game since. This also includes a career-high 16 points against the Pacers in their Nov. 24 meeting.
This next stat takes a little deeper look into VanVleet’s efficiency while on the floor, and that is his plus/minus. Since taking over the backup point guard position full time, he has not had a game with a negative plus/minus. You read that right.
Who has the #1 +/- score in the NBA this season?
— Taylor Eldridge (@tayloreldridge) November 30, 2017
Answer: @FredVanVleethttps://t.co/ndhylC2eN8
Seven games and he has only been a positive impact for the Raptors. His plus/minus over that stretch is a team-high +10.7 while on the court, which is huge for a point guard.
Some other stats worth noting is he is averaging a steal per game during their last seven, and he is also keeping the turnovers to a minimum by only averaging 0.9 per game.
It is clear to see that VanVleet has been blossoming while taking on this role. His minutes are up, his stats are up and his fan numbers are going up.
Next: NBA Awards Watch: First quarter of the season
This could be the year that he makes a name for himself in this league and the year that the Raptors found their full time backup point guard.