3. Fred VanVleet
Fred VanVleet got his payday. Always bet on yourself.
VanVleet will continue to provide a ton to the Raptors’ starting lineup: leadership, hustle, tough defense, and 3-point shooting. Steady Freddy lives up to his name – a constant that delivers composure and resilience. The rest of the team feeds off his positive energy, especially the starters.
Proving people wrong is what Fred VanVleet does. For this reason, I believe Fred will live up to his contract and increase his numbers, even by a smidgen (around 19.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists per game). At the very least, he should produce around the same as last year (17.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game).
VanVleet knows how to conduct Nick Nurse’s offensive and defensive schemes, as well as spearhead the competitive mentality of a winning franchise. Fred also meshes well with the other starters. He should have increased pick and roll opportunities with Baynes, Siakam, and Anunoby. VanVleet’s 3-point shooting will most likely be consistent – though – he needs to work on his shot creation in other ways, and areas of the court, to keep the defense guessing.
I predict another year of progression for VanVleet, with the continual improvement of his leadership, basketball skill, and overall production.
Remember to always bet on yourself.