Fred VanVleet is having one hell of a season. The Toronto Raptors point guard has been on an upward trajectory in his career since featuring as a sixth man a few years ago. Now, finally handed the keys to the offense with Kyle Lowry leaving, VanVleet is making the most out of this opportunity.

Against a depleted Jazz roster, VanVleet went berserk. He led a heroic third-quarter comeback by scoring 17 unanswered points, leading the Raptors to a 122 – 108 win. Fred VanVleet would end up finishing with his first career triple-double, making his former mentor Kyle Lowry proud.

VanVleet finished the game with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, earning that sweet triple-double. It was a performance that will remind Raptors fans of Lowry's game, and for good reason. The two players are similar in the sense that they're undersized point guards who bring more to the table than their height suggests. It makes sense that the player Lowry took under his wing would have the same impact as him.

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Raptors fans are now pushing for Fred VanVleet to be an All-Star, and for good reason. Prior to their matchup against the Jazz, VanVleet is averaging career-highs across the board (21.3 points per game, 6.7 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 44% from the field and 40% from three). Prior to this season, there were questions of whether the undrafted guard can fill Lowry's big shoes. So far, he's proven that he's more than capable of doing that.

After a rough portion of the season that saw the roster get decimated by COVID and injuries, the Raptors are rounding back to form. They currently sit at the seventh spot with a 19 – 17 record, and they have Fred VanVleet's clutch moments to thank for that.