The Toronto Raptors have fallen flat on their faces after the All-Star break. After an eight-game streak against some of the better teams in the league, Fred VanVleet and co. got blown out in consecutive games by the Charlotte Hornets and the Atlanta Hawks. It was a brutal reality check for a young team.

However, there's another major concern amongst Raptors fans: Fred VanVleet's injury. The first-time All-Star is dealing with some issues with his knee. However, VanVleet does not want to use this injury as a crutch for his and the team's poor performance. (via Josh Lewenberg)

“I'm not going to make excuses for myself. It's something I've got to deal with. It's not a major thing but it's definitely a pain in the ass.”

VanVleet has become the heart of the Raptors since Kyle Lowry's departure this off-season. As the on-court and off-court leader, he's been the go-to guy for the team. However, in the last two games after the All-Star Weekend, VanVleet hasn't been his usual self. An eight point outing against Charlotte was followed up by an uncharacteristically inefficient 24 point game against Atlanta.

There are, of course, other factors to this early post-All-Star slump. OG Anunoby's major finger injury looms large as the obvious culprit for the Raptors' struggles. Khem Birch and VanVleet having terrible plus-minus stats is also a cause of concern. However, the biggest issue that most fans seem to neglect is their inexperience

Despite their eight-game winning streak earlier, the Raptors are far from a complete team. This year was supposed to be a development season for the team. With guys like Scottie Barnes, Dalano Banton, Precious Achiuwa, and Gary Trent Jr, it was expected for this team to compete for a lottery pick, not a playoff spot. Their eight-game streak, though, accelerated the timeline from their fans.

We've seen the highs of this team. Now, we're seeing the lows. It will be interesting to see how Nick Nurse, VanVleet, and the Raptors adapt. Their already-suspect depth will be put to the test in the next games. Can they recover their pre-All-Star form? Or have we already seen the best this team can be, and it's all downhill from here?