As the Omicron variant takes hold of the NBA, teams are having to navigate their way through the fetters of uncertainty. With the league showing no signs of stopping (for numerous reasons) as it did in March 2020, steadfast leadership within franchises is more valuable than ever, wherever that may come from. For the Toronto Raptors, one of the tentpoles of the organization is none other than Fred VanVleet.

VanVleet, who is making another strong case for his first All-Star nod, has stepped into a directorial role with conviction this season.

“We’ve been through this already last year, so it’s just business as usual,” VanVleet told reporters after the Raptors’ game against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. “The show must go on and it is what it is. We went out there with a good approach and were able to get the win.”

There is a common refrain amongst NBA teams when injuries begin to stack: Next man up. But that mantra has lost some (if not its entire) level of pragmatism in the looming shadow of the latest COVID-19 variant, with a significant portion of the league in health and safety protocols and the day-to-day situation of every organization subject to fluid shifts, including the Raptors.

Evidently, the toll on players is a taxing one.

“Just stay focused,” VanVleet said. “You just put one foot in front of the other, stay focused on the things we can control. We’re all in a vulnerable situation, uncertain situation, and the one thing that’s constant is that things will not be constant. There’s a lot of ups and downs and a lack of continuity and here we are.”

The 27-year-old undrafted floor general, who's one of the biggest feel-good NBA stories in recent memory, isn't new to obstacles. With the Raptors still struggling to find their footing this season, and with the health crisis still pervasive, VanVleet continues to harp on hard work.

“We’re all in it together and there’s gonna be a lot of things that come our way and we just focus on the work. Coming to work every day, trying to do your job and just staying positive,” VanVleet said.

VanVleet understands the necessity of being a guiding voice in and outside of the Raptors locker room. As the season chugs on—steaming and sputtering as it goes—positions like his will only increase in responsibility, particularly with the burden of expressing a consistent level of optimism perpetually present.

“(Things are difficult) in the sense that nobody knows what is going on,” VanVleet said. “The experts know better than we do but they don’t have the best understanding of everything, so. We’re listening to the doctors and the rules and what the NBA says, and we’re trying to keep showing up for work.”