Raptors Examining 'A Few Different Things' To Get Fred VanVleet Healthy & Ready for the Playoffs

The Toronto Raptors need Fred VanVleet healthy and ready to go for the playoffs, but giving him time off now may come at a very steep price

Aaron Rose | Mar 22, 2022

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

It's clear Fred VanVleet isn't 100%.

Since returning from the All-Star break, he's played in just eight of the Toronto Raptors last 15 games and his ailing right knee has him struggling on both ends of the court. It's not a dire situation, but it's "difficult," he said Monday night.

Across the board, his stats are down since the break. His three-point shot isn't falling at the same rate and he's looked less aggressive offensively, either lacking the burst he had before the injury or wary he might aggravate things.

	Points	FG%	3pt%	Drives Per Game
Pre All-Star	21.6	41.9	40.1	14.0
Post All-Star	17.4	34.8	27.8	9.6

VanVleet isn't one to complain about things. He's open and honest about the injury but doesn't use it as an excuse. To him, if he's on the court and playing, he should be judged accordingly. But the injury has put Toronto in a difficult position.

On one hand, the Raptors need VanVleet. Even when his shots aren't falling, he's a leader on the court. He's an organizer, as Raptors coach Nick Nurse says. Before the break, for example, Toronto was 9.2 points per 100 possessions better with VanVleet on the court, the highest on the team. In the midst of a heated playoff chase, Toronto can't afford to give VanVleet time off.

On the other hand, however, the Raptors need VanVleet back to his old self and ready to go when the playoffs tipoff. They can't let his knee get any worse and while earning the sixth seed may be critical for Toronto, so is having a healthy VanVleet on the court.

That's why the Raptors are weighing their options right now as they try to figure out how to manage VanVleet's health and avoid the play-in tournament.

"There’s a few different things we could do to get to that point considering where we are in the season," VanVleet said. "I think, for the most part, I’ve always elected to play and play until somebody stops me. So, here we are and some days feel better than others but for the most part, I can do my job pretty good out there, definitely not where I’d love to be."

Thursday's game may clear things up a little bit for the Raptors. A loss would put Toronto two games back of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. At that point, it may be worth taking it a little bit easier on VanVleet and making sure he's ready to go when the play-in tournament tips off in Toronto.

Further Reading