Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet is playing at an All-Star level. That much is undeniable, and his red-hot play continued on Tuesday night against the San Antonio Spurs to the tune of 33 points, seven assists, two steals and zero turnover on a 69.1 true shooting percentage in 32 minutes.

He’s just in another world right now, the mythical Zone that athletes love to talk about—a sort of mental and physical wonder-space in which the two unite so harmoniously that the result is an easy stream of near-perfection.

“I think you recognize when you’re in rhythm and you just try to hold on as long as possible,” the Raptors star told reporters postgame. “It’s not always like that. I try to keep my floor a little higher, but when you’re hot, I think you just gotta be aggressive and ride it out as long as you can.”

It was his third-straight game of posting 30 or more points, the first time a member of the Raptors has done that since Kawhi Leonard ripped off a four-game streak back in January of 2019, per Raptors PR. As if that fact alone wasn't impressive enough, it was also his fourth game of 30-plus points over his last five contests. During that time, he has averaged a walloping 31.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 8.4 assists on 48.5 percent shooting.

It’s not just the raw, surface-level stats that make VanVleet’s All-Star case, either. Dig a little deepe and it becomes apparent that he’s finishing better at the rim than he ever has, improved himself as a pull-up threat on greater volume, and taken his playmaking ability, particularly in the pick-and-roll, to new heights.

Perhaps even more striking than any of that is just how vital he has been to the team as a whole, stepping into the role that Kyle Lowry left him and filling it better than anyone could’ve hoped. When VanVleet has been on the floor this season, the Raptors have been a ridiculous 19.5 points per 100 possessions better than when he’s been off of it.

“I think [VanVleet’s] right in there,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “We know what he brings—he brings winning, and leadership, and he’s scoring, great defender. He’s gotta be in [All-Star] consideration.”

Most importantly, the Raptors have now won three-straight games for the first time since their five-game streak that stretched from October 27th to November 3rd. They once again find themselves back at the .500 mark and are 8-2 at home since December 1st following an abysmal 2-8 start.

Should they continue this recent trend, not only will they reestablish themselves as a legitimate threat to make the playoffs (or at least contend more seriously for a spot via the play-in tournament), but Fred VanVleet should garner some favor with voters–which he may have not had it before due to the team’s lack of wins.

Whether or not VanVleet should actually make the NBA All-Star Game this season is up for debate. There are numerous qualified candidates and the Raptors’ record is what it is (at least for now).

What’s not up for debate, however, is that VanVleet deserves all of the praise coming his way.

“Obviously, [I’m] feeling pretty good,” VanVleet said. “I’m not the best at taking compliments or talking about myself, so [I’m] feeling good—I’ll leave it at that.”