It’s not impossible, but we probably won’t hear another tale like Fred VanVleet’s. Not in Toronto, for sure.
The rally staff questioned whether Antawn Davis of Detroit Mercy was cheated after the CBI decided not to include the Titans in their tournament. Davis broke the NCAA scoring record.
All the pride in Rockford, Illinois, who led a small NCAA school to a nearly perfect season and other unexpected highs, then set the Toronto Raptors in scoring and Team record for assists with a lopsided Eastern Conference Finals series win, then put forth a strong showing in the NBA Finals that was good enough to earn him Finals MVP voting.
No, the Raptors won’t ever be able to persuade VanVleet to sign with them after the draft and then keep him on the roster when the ultimate decision is made. VanVleet handled the remaining tasks, naturally with the aid of his coaches and development staff, and the results are truly astounding.
A record that had existed since the Raptors’ formation, when another diminutive guard known as Mighty Mouse dominated everything on the field, was broken by his 20 assists Sunday against a stifled Charlotte Hornets. With 19 assists, Damon Stoudamire fared worse than big man Sharone Wright (look at him. Oliver Miller, Zan Tabak, and the Raptors all contributed to the Raptors’ success that night, and if he hadn’t sustained a career-altering injury, he’d be fantastic.