Did you bet on Fred? Raptors push for VanVleet to make first NBA All-Star Game

From undrafted to potentially his first NBA All-Star selection, Fred VanVleet is closing in on yet another accolade in his professional career since graduating from Wichita State.

VanVleet played in his first NBA game at age 22, became a world champion at age 25, signed the largest contract by an undrafted player in NBA history for a total of $85 million at age 26, and could earn his first NBA All-Star appearance just before his 28th birthday.

Not a bad run for Mr. Bet On Yourself.

It’s been another breakout season for VanVleet, in his third season as the starting point guard for the Toronto Raptors, averaging a career-best 21.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists while playing the most minutes per game in the NBA. He is third in the NBA with 3.9 three-pointers made per game and is shooting 40.7% beyond the arc for the most efficient scoring season of his career.

“I feel like I’ve done my job up until this point,” VanVleet told Toronto media. “I’ve put together a heck of a season so far… I was pretty close last year, we’ll see what happens this year. I’ll continue to put the team first and put winning first and see where all those accolades and those accomplishments fall.”

VanVleet is currently No. 8 among Eastern Conference guards in fan voting, which makes up 50% of the vote to determine the All-Star game starters. Fan voting ends on Saturday with the All-Star starters announced Jan. 27 and the reserves, which are picked by the coaches, announced Feb. 3.

It’s unlikely VanVleet makes the Feb. 20 All-Star game in Cleveland as a starter, but it’s appearing increasingly likely he will be picked by coaches as a reserve. VanVleet averaged 30.6 points in an eight-game stretch during late December and early January, including his first career triple-double highlighted by 37 points and his first Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors.

Since then, praise has been coming in from everywhere in the NBA for the former Shocker.

“I’ve always seen him as a guy that’s figured out how to dominate the game behind the scenes,” Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams said. “Now, these last couple of years, he’s dominating front and center. I’m not quite sure if there’s anyone playing better than him in the East.

“I think he’s playing at an All-Star level,” Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas said. “He’s proved that he can be a leader, on the court and off the court. He’s a vocal leader. I remember him when I was with (the) Raptors, he was starting to (become a) vocal leader. Right now he has that freedom and I think he’s a really smart guy who can lead by example.”

VanVleet’s surge in production has correlated with the Raptors’ turnaround, as they have shaken off a 9-13 start with a 12-8 record the last two months to move into playoff position at the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference standings with their star point guard leading the way.

“It always helps to have guys that have a little bit of that underdog mentality in their DNA,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “That’s usually the hardest part of my job, when you look down on paper and a few guys are missing and we’ve still got to find a way to do it. Guys that have that underdog mentality, or been through some battles to get to where they are, or have really risen up to survive some challenges and overcome the odds and all those things, those are the ones that will believe quickly in a game plan and help you execute it and help you spread it to the rest of the team and the rest of the locker room.”

Toronto fans have started a social media campaign — #DidYouBetOnFred? — to help push for VanVleet’s spot in Cleveland, while a local graphic designer even made an “Undrafted All-Star” shirt to help VanVleet’s case.

If VanVleet is selected for the 2022 NBA All-Star game, he would be just the second former Wichita State player ever to achieve the feat, joining Xavier McDaniel, who made it to the 1988 NBA All-Star game while averaging 21.4 points in his third season with the Seattle SuperSonics. Former Shocker Warren (Armstrong) Jabali was a four-time ABA All-Star from 1969-74.