Finding his shot in the whirlwind of both crunch time and childbirth
VanVleet is giving the Raptors a valuable scorer off the bench in a dare-to-be-great situation
The Houston Rockets were in town in early March for their only visit, and it’s always nice when they’re around because there’s a chance to catch up with John Lucas.
The legendary coach has forgotten more about basketball than many will ever know. He’s a tireless workout mentor and skills development guru who has made all kinds of prospects into players, and he has a unique view of the game.
He asks about the Raptors and how they’re doing. The answer is: They are a very, very good team that has a chance to do something special, especially after the trade-deadline acquisition of veteran Marc Gasol.
“Yeah, they’re really good, “Lucas said of the Raptors, “but they gotta get Fred VanVleet back. He can make ’em great.”
Smart guy, that Lucas is.
VanVleet had missed seven games after thumb surgery when the Rockets arrived and he’d miss four more after they left Toronto, part of a long season disrupted by a handful of nagging injuries, but Lucas knew how valuable he was.
And now — if further proof than the word of an opposing coach was necessary — VanVleet has proven Lucas prescient with his play in the latter half of the Eastern Conference final against the Milwaukee Bucks. VanVleet drained seven three-pointers in Thursday’s monstrous 105-99 win, which moved the Raptors closer to playing for an NBA championship than they have ever been — a shooting game that will be talked about by fans for years to come.
But it’s also his presence, his brain, his calm demeanour and the way he just gets things organized that have helped Toronto to three straight victories in the best-of-seven series.
Freddy. Steady. Indeed.
“I think Fred is that type of guy where he knows what he has to do, and you kind of always have a sense that he’s in control,” Pascal Siakam said this week. “You never feel like he’s doubting himself or anything like that.
“I just always feel confident in him when he’s out there on the floor, no matter if he’s scoring or not. Just being on the floor with him, I feel comfortable.”
To say it’s been a whirlwind week for VanVleet is the understatement of the playoffs, and to say he’s handled a crazy post-season well is bang on.
This past week has included the birth of a son, a trip back to his Illinois home that kept him out of Thursday’s shootaround, the stress and hectic time that comes with family obligations, and two of the best games he’s played.
He had 13 points — and was a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range — in Game 4, then hit a career-high seven three-pointers in Game 5 and played with his usual aplomb.
It may have been pure adrenalin, and eventually a crash will come, but it’s more likely that it’s his nature that allows him laser-like concentration on the job and a steadfast belief in himself that’s come together.
“(It’s) just trusting the work and trusting your craft, and knowing that at some point they’re going to drop,” he said. “A lot of times, how it work (is) they all come at once and I think that’s what you’ve seen, so just bottle it up and put some games together.”
His two big shooting games couldn’t have come at more opportune moment for his team. He’s always felt that the shots would drop, but seeing it actually happen has been freeing.
“Obviously it’s turned around for me a little bit these last two games,” he said. “I’ve gotten more — feels like I’m getting better looks, more open looks, and as you make them your teammates start to look for you more and more, and the game kind of opens up all at once. Just staying confident, staying in there ready to knock them down when I get the opportunity, and just staying locked in.”
And while Lucas was offering an outsider’s view of VanVleet’s worth months ago, his teammates love experiencing it up close.
“To come out with a performance like that on the road, it shows the mental toughness,” Kyle Lowry said after Game 5. “It shows just how much of a professional he is. It was an unbelievable performance by him.”