Fred VanVleet knows his role for the Toronto Raptors is to be the primary backup for Kyle Lowry.
As much as he relished and thrived in his current role, however, VanVleet admitted that he wants to start for the defending champions.
FVV-"I'm good with whatever role they give me. I've been vocal in saying what I want to do. I'm not going to pigeonhole myself into being a bench player forever. I want to be a starter someday, I feel like I'm good enough to do that now, but its all about whats best for the team"
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) September 28, 2019
Though he does come off the bench behind Lowry, he did play alongside the All-Star point guard for long stretches, especially during their magical 2019 playoff run. He even finished most of the games in their Finals series against the Golden State Warriors and served as their primary defender over Stephen Curry.
VanVleet played a huge role in their run to the franchise's first ever NBA championship and was instrumental in the close-out Game 6 to dethrone the Golden State Warriors. He saved his best performance for last as he netted a postseason-high 22 points in 33 minutes off the bench, with 12 coming in the final period.
Freddy V also knocked down five three-pointers, three of which came in the fourth quarter including a massive straight away triple with less than four minutes to play to give the Raps a three-point cushion.
VanVleet should have a more prominent role in the offense after the departures of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. You could make the case that he can start at the two since he does play alongside Lowry and is arguably one of their best five. However, looking at Toronto's roster and rotation, it might be best if he stays in his role for at least this season.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt VanVleet is capable of becoming a starter in the NBA. With Lowry going up there in age, perhaps he may get his chance in Toronto at some point in the future.
For now, however, he should remain as Lowry's backup and should still finish games for the Raptors with his tough defense and steady shot-making ability.
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