Fred VanVleet Credits Kyle Lowry's Mentorship as He Nears Raptors' 3-Point Record

The Toronto Raptors will soon have a new three-point king as Fred VanVleet nears Kyle Lowry's franchise record

Aaron Rose | Apr 2, 2022

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The shot charts tell the whole story.

When Kyle Lowry first set the Toronto Raptors’ franchise record for the most three-pointers in a season, it seemed like some incredible feat. In just his second season in Toronto and his 190 three-pointers made in 2013-14 blew Morris Peterson’s then-franchise record of 177 threes out of the water. But then Lowry broke it again and again.

Now, four years after the Raptors legend nailed 238 three-pointers in 2017-18, the record is set to fall again. This time, topped by Lowry’s apprentice Fred VanVleet who sits just two three-pointers away from the franchise record that will no doubt be broken Sunday night against Lowry and the Miami Heat.

“It’s an incredible accomplishment. Obviously, any time you are in a conversation with Kyle and the things he has done for the franchise, it’s a huge honor,” said VanVleet who nailed five three-pointers on Friday night against the Orlando Magic. “It’s been a heck of a year so far. Being able to get that would mean a lot. I think it speaks to the way the game is going and obviously my improvement as a player.”

When VanVleet first broke into the league as an undrafted guard out of Wichita State back in 2016, he knew his only chance to earn a spot on the team was to follow Lowry’s lead. He was “attached to him at the hip,” as VanVleet put it, trying to mimic everything the then-two-time NBA All-Star did.

“Whether it was balance or footwork or just repetition and just staying next to him and seeing how he gets it off, seeing how he hunts them, when he hunts them, and just finding a rhythm,” VanVleet said.

He studied the way Lowry got the ball off, how he could run down the court, stop on a dime and put up one of his patented pull-up jumpers.

shotchart (62) — Kyle Lowry's 2017-18 three-point shot chart vs. Fred VanVleet's 2021-22 three-point shot chart

shotchart (61) — Kyle Lowry's 2017-18 three-point shot chart vs. Fred VanVleet's 2021-22 three-point shot chart

It's clear Lowry's impact rubbed off.

"Well, they are very similar, right? They get ‘em up the floor in transition, a lot of pick and roll reads as well. Not a ton of off-ball action, coming off screens and stuff, both of ‘em. I don't really know if there's much difference really," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. "I think Freddy may get that deep, deep, deep, he's got the deep three-ball going maybe a little earlier in his career than Kyle did. But that might be the only difference I can find."

At this point, it's only a matter of time before VanVleet blows away Lowry's record. He learned from the best and is he's now on the verge of topping it. But at the same time, VanVleet knows his record too won't stand. Frankly, with a little more health, he'll probably eclipse it next season and possibly the one after that too before someone else comes along and brushes them both aside.

"The way the game is going, you might find a guy who's a really good shooter, and there's a coach out there that tells him to shoot 20 threes a game," VanVleet said. "I wouldn't be surprised if that happened in the next five, 10 years."

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