<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Fred-VanVleet-Raptors-3.jpg"></figure><h1>Fred VanVleet gets blunt on his All-Star snub</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-23T21:33:55-08:00">February 23rd, 9:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-23T21:33:55-08:00">February 23rd, 9:33pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While Toronto Raptors fans are going wild over Fred VanVleet’s NBA All-Star snub, the crafty guard doesn’t seem fazed about it. For him, there are other things happening, and being snubbed isn’t worth his tears.</p><p>Per <a href="https://twitter.com/william_lou?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1364419869945511941%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1016566action%3Dedit">William Lou of Yahoo! Sports</a>, VanVleet had a blunt reaction to not being selected as a reserve in the NBA All-Star Game.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"there's too much real shit going on in the world for me to be crying about an all-star game" – fred vanvleet</p><p>— William Lou (@william_lou) <a href="https://twitter.com/william_lou/status/1364419869945511941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It’s an interesting reaction from VanVleet. Most players work their tails off with the specific goal of becoming an All-Star. It’s understandable since being an All-Star not only means helping the team win but also shows popularity among the legions of NBA fans all over the world.</p><p>Besides, some large-scale NBA contracts require a player to be selected into an All-Star Team. Not being selected could mean missing millions and millions of dollars.</p><p>A closer look at VanVleet, however, particularly his contract, may reveal why he’s not too <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-nick-nurses-honest-reaction-to-fred-vanvleets-all-star-snub/">affected by the snub</a>. Last November, the shifty playmaker inked a huge four-year, $85 million deal with the Raptors. All fans were in agreement that he deserved every single penny of the contract.</p><p>When the deal was locked in, the 26-year-old VanVleet made the headlines not just because of the hefty amount but because it signified a great victory in his underdog career. To recall, he set up a party for his friends and loved ones during the 2016 NBA Draft only not to be selected at all.</p><p>So Fred VanVleet worked his way from the ground up. The Raptors championship in 2019 was the cherry on top. But the massive contract definitely sweetened things for him.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Fred VanVleet gets blunt on his All-Star snub

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/image_2021-02-24_124310.png"></figure><h1>Raptors coach Nick Nurse’s honest reaction to Fred VanVleet’s All-Star snub</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-23T20:47:15-08:00">February 23rd, 8:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-23T20:47:15-08:00">February 23rd, 8:47pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet was among those who fans believe is supposed to be an All-Star but was snubbed. Rightfully so, head coach Nick Nurse <a href="https://twitter.com/ekoreen/status/1364414389986742274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1364414389986742274%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1016510action%3Dedit">is pissed</a>, especially given all the effort that VanVleet has given.</p><p>Per Eric Koreen of The Athletic, Nurse tagged VanVleet as one of the major reasons for the Raptors’ turnaround this season.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I’m very disappointed,” Nurse says of VanVleet not making the All-Star Game. </p><p>He takes nothing away from guys who made it, recognizes how deep talent is. “He’s played his guts out,” and has been a big reason for Raptors’ turn-around.</p><p>— (((Eric Koreen))) (@ekoreen) <a href="https://twitter.com/ekoreen/status/1364414389986742274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Raptors started the 2020-21 season with a dismal 2-8 record, a not-so-welcome sight for a team who was crowned world champions in 2019. Some experts even thought that the franchise is en route to pressing the rebuild button sometime in the season.</p><p>Yet little by little, the Raptors picked up win after win save a few losses here are there. Now, their record stands at a decent 16-16. And for those following the Raptors this season, it’s no secret that VanVleet has been their main guy.</p><p>VanVleet is currently averaging 20.1 points per game, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.6 assists — all of which are career-highs. He also dropped a career-high 54 points in their win over the Orlando Magic earlier in the month. All of VanVleet’s statistics in relation to the Raptors’ rise from the standings definitely show that he deserves to be an All-Star.</p><p>And it’s not just Nurse who’s disappointed. Several members of the media also share the same sentiments:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">For the record, everyday Fred VanVleet wakes up he’s an All-Star.</p><p>— Sid Seixeiro (@Sid_Seixeiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sid_Seixeiro/status/1364364130170392576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 23, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>For Marc Stein, VanVleet joins the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-east-players-who-were-definitely-snubbed-from-2021-nba-all-star-game/">long list of snubbed players</a> in the East which includes the likes of Jimmy Butler, Trae Young, Khris Middleton, and more.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Snubs in the East:</p><p>Miami gets NO All-Star — no Jimmy Butler and no Bam Adebayo …</p><p>No Khris Middleton for Milwaukee …</p><p>Snubbed, too: Atlanta's Trae Young, Toronto's Fred VanVleet, Charlotte's Gordon Hayward, Indiana's Domantas Sabonis, Philadelphia's Tobias Harris and more <a href="https://t.co/hWvdhU96ew" target="_blank">https://t.co/hWvdhU96ew</a></p><p>— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSteinLine/status/1364366879339417604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 24, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It’s definitely a sad day for Raptors fans. Their prized guard still isn’t being recognized as one of the best in the league.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors coach Nick Nurse’s honest reaction to Fred VanVleet’s All-Star snub

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Fred-VanVleet-Sixers-Raptors.jpg"></figure><h1>Fred VanVleet admits practicing ‘dumb shots’ after close win vs. Sixers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-21T20:44:41-08:00">February 21st, 8:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-21T20:44:41-08:00">February 21st, 8:44pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet wasn’t just instrumental in his team’s win on Sunday over the Philadelphia 76ers, he also made a highlight-reel bucket with his crazy 36-foot bank shot to beat the shot clock in the first quarter. After the game, he admitted that he does practice those types of shots.</p><p>Per <a href="https://twitter.com/JLew1050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1363683361609375750%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fclutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D1014312action%3Dedit">Josh Lewenberg of TSN</a>, VanVleet admitted that contrary to most players, he’s not afraid of jacking up crazy shots like the one against the Sixers. In fact, he takes the time to perfect them.</p><blockquote>“I do practice dumb shots like that all the time, so I’m never afraid to mess up my shooting percentages. As bad as I shot the other night I think the basketball Gods owed me a couple tonight.”</blockquote><p>Props to the Sixers for their stellar defense in the possession, but the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/fred-vanvleet-cards-soared-in-value-after-his-54-point-explosion/">crafty VanVleet was just too good</a> and too lucky at that moment.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">WHAT. A. SHOT. ‼️</p><p>Fred VanVleet oh my goodness 😳 <a href="https://t.co/04dnK9mh4D" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/04dnK9mh4D</a></p><p>— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1363659699133046788?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>VanVleet finished the game with 23 points, five rebounds, and nine assists, earning praises from coach Nick Nurse. It was a much-needed victory for the up-and-down Raptors as they haven’t been looking their best so far. A win over the Eastern Conference-leading Sixers would surely help in their resolve moving forward.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nick Nurse on Fred VanVleet: "He looked like an all-star tonight."</p><p>— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/1363683361609375750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Sunday’s victory was the Raptors’ fourth consecutive W. Slowly and surely, they seem to be returning to top form after a slow start. The next few games will be tough for Fred VanVleet and company though. They’ll face the Sixers again on Tuesday, followed by the Miami Heat on Wednesday, and the Houston Rockets on Friday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Fred VanVleet admits practicing ‘dumb shots’ after close win vs. Sixers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Fred-VanVleet-Raptors-2.jpg"></figure><h1>Raptors’ Fred VanVleet gets honest on losing his temper on the court</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-20T06:09:59-08:00">February 20th, 6:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-20T07:34:06-08:00">February 20th, 7:34am</time><address><a>Jeremy Chua</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet may not be the biggest guy on the court but he will definitely let his teammates hear it whenever they fail to make smart plays on the floor. His backcourt partner in Norman Powell can attest to VanVleet’s short temper but eventually shrugged it off, knowing that the former undrafted guard just wanted the best for his teammates, via <a href="https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/1362989659073183748?s=20">Josh Lewenberg</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Powell on VanVleet: "He's always yelling at me for something but that's just the relationship that we have. He's very smart when he sees something. If I miss something he's on me about it. We hold each other and our team to a high standard."</p><p>— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/1362989659073183748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>VanVleet admitted that he has the tendency to lose his temper and thought that he already managed to overcome it as of late. However, the slow start of the Raptors to this season definitely <a href="https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/1362987269213282304?s=20">brought</a> the fire back out of him once again.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Fred VanVleet, asked what he's learned about himself amid the Raptors' slow start to the season, jokes: "I thought I had my temper and my anger problems under control, and I'm realizing that I don't. The losing has brought back that little fiery kid that I used to be."</p><p>— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLew1050/status/1362987269213282304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 20, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Indeed, VanVleet’s tough love for his teammates worked wonders as Powell was able to come out with a huge performance on Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The former UCLA standout chalked up a season-high tally of 31 points on 6/10 shots from beyond the arc along with six rebounds.</p><p>Powell’s production was crucial for the Raptors as they outscored the Timberwolves, 28-17, in the final frame to run away with an 86-61 victory. Amid a long season, head coach Nick Nurse will definitely need several of his men to step up for the team in order to regain their momentum.</p><p>Better performances from the Raptors <a href="https://foco.vegb.net/nOd9R" rel="noopener">players are also needed by the team</a> now that their veteran leader in Kyle Lowry remains to be on the sidelines due to an ankle injury. VanVleet, Powell, and Pascal Siakam will definitely serve as key players in their bid to salvage their season and continue to vie for a playoff spot in their coming games.</p><p>Fred VanVleet hopes that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-fred-vanvleet-denies-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-with-impressive-defensive-stop/">his energy</a> can rub off on his Raptors teammates and help them increase their confidence as the season progresses.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors’ Fred VanVleet gets honest on losing his temper on the court

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Raptors-Fred-VanVleet-Bucks-Giannis-Antetokounmpo.jpg"></figure><h1>Raptors’ Fred VanVleet denies Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo with impressive defensive stop</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-18T18:05:42-08:00">February 18th, 6:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-18T18:07:01-08:00">February 18th, 6:07pm</time><address><a>David Bernal</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has spent most of the season garnering headlines for his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/fred-vanvleet-cards-soared-in-value-after-his-54-point-explosion/">impressive</a> performances on the court’s offensive end. <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2892585-fred-vanvleet-raptors-agree-to-4-year-85m-contract-with-player-option#:~:text=The%20Toronto%20Raptors%20and%20combo,option%20for%20the%20final%20season.">Rewarded</a> with a four-year deal worth $85 million in the offseason, the guard has become the team’s primary scoring weapon, as the Raptors try to get into the playoff race.</p><p>Thursday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, VanVleet reminded everyone that he could do more than just score the ball.</p><p>Serving as a one-man wall against a driving Giannis Antetokounmpo, VanVleet viciously mugged the big man before he could get to the rim, sparking a Toronto fastbreak and leaving the Greek Freak stunned in the backcourt.</p><p>Check out VanVleet’s impressive defensive chops below.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🗣️ ALL-DEFENCE </p><p>Cc: <a href="https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@FredVanVleet</a> <a href="https://t.co/brViR2d4GS" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/brViR2d4GS</a></p><p>— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors/status/1362570500342484996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 19, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>While the Raptors have been one of the most effective teams at placing multiple defenders in the lane and stopping Giannis from getting downhill and to the rim, the Bucks big man short-circuited the game plan by unleashing a beautiful spin move around Pascal Siakam. Left by himself in the lane and with help, unable to rotate quick enough, it looked as though VanVleet was about to be posterized by a dunk.</p><p>Thankfully for the Raptors, the quick-thinking guard had other ideas.</p><p>Once Antetokounmpo foolishly lowered the ball against the smaller defender, VanVleet immediately sprung into action, getting his hands onto the rock and muscling it out of the grip of Giannis.</p><p>Not only did the steal prevent a score by the Bucks, but it also was the perfect encapsulation of Milwaukee’s struggles against Toronto. With the Raptors tenaciously guarding the lane, Giannis has slowly moved away from the basket, already <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/playbyplay?gameId=401267605">recording</a> three shots from 23-feet and beyond through only two quarters–far more than the Bucks would prefer.</p><p>With VanVleet and the Raptors imposing their will on the Bucks, they’re actually looking like the Toronto team of the past on Thursday night.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors’ Fred VanVleet denies Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo with impressive defensive stop

Hassan Whiteside

Kyle Korver

Al Horford

Tyler Herro

Fred VanVleet

Eric Bledsoe

Marcus Smart

Patty Mills

Willie Cauley-Stein

Larry Nance Jr.

2018-19 NBA Champ

2019 NBA Champ

Toronto Raptors

Career

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1354809754292391936/

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1354093315281584128/

Wait, skateboards and roses? Hard to believe, but @AXECanada Skateboards and Fresh Roses really does smell amazing. 🌹🛹 #ad 

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1345053694275055616/

Happy New Year🍾 may the next 10 be the best 10 yet 🙏🏽

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1341120888998146048/

Parlay. 

The next bet. 

The off-season documentary coming soon. 

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1330962533335916546/

Been watching the pod for a few years now @JoeBudden finally didn’t kill my last name 😂😂😂 
 S/o @MAL___

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1321938352300576769/

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1310481876088389633/

https://twitter.com/FredVanVleet/status/1308767905597788161/

We need @NBACoachGriffin to get a shot as well. No brainer

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
20.1	4.4	6.6	0.8	1.7

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
20.1	4.4	6.6	0.8	1.7

Fred
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Raptors’ Fred VanVleet gets honest on losing his temper on the court

Raptors’ Fred VanVleet denies Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo with impressive defensive stop