Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has spent most of the season garnering headlines for his impressive performances on the court's offensive end. Rewarded 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.

Thursday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, VanVleet reminded everyone that he could do more than just score the ball.

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.

Check out VanVleet's impressive defensive chops below.

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.

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Thankfully for the Raptors, the quick-thinking guard had other ideas.

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.

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 recording three shots from 23-feet and beyond through only two quartersā€“far more than the Bucks would prefer.

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.

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