Toronto Raptors: Will Fred VanVleet’s 54 give Raptors hope again?

Will Fred VanVleet’s big performance be enough to give the Toronto Raptors hope again? 

Let his name ring loud throughout Tampa Bay. If it wasn’t already clear, Fred VanVleet‘s 54 points for the Toronto Raptors on (Yes, really)1.001 true shooting percentage was enough to take down the Orlando Magic and to put his name atop two all-time lists.

Fred VanVleet, although leading the group, joins Vince Carter, DeMar DeRozan, and Terrence Ross as the only Toronto Raptors to break the 50-point mark. Making all but six of his shots on the night, VanVleet was scorching hot, leaving the visiting Orlando Magic to watch in awe for each and every one of the 37 minutes he played.

Has it been mentioned that VanVleet had 54 points? Anyways.

Nearly single-handedly outscoring the Magic’s top-three scorers, the Raptors were given some room to breathe in a cluttered Eastern Conference. Now 9-12, and 1 game back from the eighth-seeded Cavaliers, Toronto has more motivation to perform than ever, especially considering that their next two matchups will have no shortage of 3-point shooting, defense-collapsing guards.

Raptors guards Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet will not only have to perform on the offensive end, but limit one or more of Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Trae Young from notching their own record-breaking scoring nights.

Irving and Harden together average 52 points per game, not to mention they have a certain quasi 7-foot sniper who brings the trio’s nightly scoring average to 83. As for the Hawks, Young pours in 27 points per contest, and facilitates with the best of them, putting teammates De’Andre Hunter and John Collins in a position to score 17 points each.

Atlanta’s scoring goes beyond their starters, as 7 players put up double-digit scoring numbers on the season.

Owning the NBA’s 13th and 12th offensive and defensive ratings respectively, Toronto neither excels nor lags behind significantly on either end of the floor. Against most teams, this can be looked past, but with such potent offensive weapons on the horizon, Toronto needs to hang their hat on both offensive output and enthusiastic defense.

Down a defensive specialist in OG Anunoby, the Raptors’ frontcourt and backcourt will be put to the test, ensuring formidable man-to-man defense, as well as making the necessary switches and subsequent rotations that coach Nick Nurse has emphasized this season.

Not every night will be dedicated to breaking records, and not every night sees Fred VanVleet take on a 34 percent usage rate, well above his seasonal average of 23.9 percent. Not every night is going to be highlighted by a 54 point outing. With that in mind, all eyes will be on the rest of Toronto’s roster to reinforce their all-time franchise single-game scorer. Reigning All-Stars Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry, Toronto’s second and third scorers respectively, will have to ensure that VanVleet’s usage doesn’t translate into fatigue.

The Brooklyn Nets, owning the league’s fourth-highest pace, will have the Raptors running baseline-to-baseline, and hopefully, Toronto’s 6-foot-frontcourt will have their legs beneath them for the second game of their back-to-back.

Facing the Nets on Friday and the Hawks on Saturday, Fred VanVleet and the Toronto Raptors have their eyes set on concluding their pit-stop from the playoff race and re-establishing themselves amongst the Eastern Conference’s most prominent teams.