Toronto Raptors: Will Fred VanVleet be an All-Star one day?

The Toronto Raptors have two representatives in the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. Fred VanVleet has a chance to join that group one day.

Once again, the Toronto Raptors will be well represented during the NBA All-Star Game in 2020. Pascal Siakam was voted in as a starter for the first time in his burgeoning career, while Kyle Lowry was named a reserve, the sixth straight season he has been named an All-Star.

While Lowry’s All-Star honors will be in his rearview mirror soon, Siakam is likely just getting started on a run of multiple appearances in the exhibition. Still, Raptors fans have to hope Siakam isn’t the only young player who will be an All-Star in the coming years.

The next great hope? Guard Fred VanVleet.

Saying the guard is part of an elite class isn’t possible yet. But he does already have one major backer in his campaign for future All-Star status in his backcourt mate.

Making a case that VanVleet was snubbed from going to Chicago this year is difficult, especially with the likes of Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Zach LaVine missing out on the opportunity, perhaps undeservedly so. There’s no question, however, that VanVleet is starting to emerge as an elite player in the league.

The 25-year-old is averaging 17.9 points and 6.9 assists per game. Those are both career highs for the fourth-year guard out of Wichita State, who is a full-time starter for the first time in his career. VanVleet has also recorded six double-doubles this season, whereas he only had one in his entire career entering the 2019-20 campaign.

The improvement in VanVleet’s counting stats can be attributed to an increase in playing time, as he’s averaging a robust 35.9 minutes per game. But his field goal, free throw and three-point shooting percentages are all very close to his career marks, suggesting his level of play is sustainable regardless of how high his usage gets.

And it could get even higher shortly. While Lowry appears to be ageless, the truth is that his time as a star is going to begin fading, perhaps as soon as next season. VanVleet would then be tasked with stepping into the void as the leader of the backcourt and an undisputed top-two player for the Raptors.

VanVleet will be 26 years old by the time the 2021 All-Star Game rolls around next February. Among this year’s first-time All-Stars, only Rudy Gobert rivals that mark (he’s 27), while Siakam is 25 years old. By age alone, the odds will be stacked against VanVleet.

There’s also a real possibility VanVleet won’t be in Toronto next year. After signing a two-year extension in the summer of 2018, he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and could command a big contract. He has previously expressed a desire to remain in Toronto (h/t Sportsnet), but there’s only so much money to go around. Basketball is a business after all.

Should he stay in Toronto long-term, there can be little doubt at this point that Fred VanVleet is trending in the direction of becoming an All-Star in the coming seasons.