Fred VanVleet's amazing season for the Toronto Raptors has earned him his first-ever All-Star nomination. It is a well-deserved and historic accomplishment for the undrafted 27-year-old.

For a Raptors squad surprisingly in playoff contention, VanVleet is averaging career-highs across the board: 21.6 points, 7.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 3.9 made triples per game. He is the complete package offensively and is a stellar defender. Although he was only voted in as a reserve, he was a strong All-Star candidate.

VanVleet is adding a fun wrinkle to his first All-Star weekend appearance. He has committed to participate in the 3-point competition, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Toronto's point guard is the second player, following the Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young, to enter.

VanVleet absolutely has what it takes to compete in the shootout competition. The Raptors' star is third in total 3-pointers made while sporting a 3-point percentage in the top 50 in the league. He is one of seven players to make 125 3-pointers on 39 percent shooting from deep. Shooting has always been a strength of his and now he will get the chance to add some hardware to prove it.

The Raptors were expected to enter a rebuilding year his season. But thanks to VanVleet and a well-rounded supporting cast, the Raptors are well within the hunt for the postseason. His message of always betting on himself has cashed out big time. The example he provides to Toronto's young layers makes him an excellent leader and shows that Toronto is among the vest best talent scouters/developers in the league.