It’s not impossible, but considering we’re unlikely to see a story like Fred VanVleet’s again. Certainly not in Toronto.
After the CBI decided not to select the Titans for their tournament, rally staff debated whether Detroit Mercy’s Antawn Davis was cheated for breaking the NCAA scoring record.
All the pride in Rockford, Illinois, who managed to lead a small NCAA school to a near-perfect season and other unexpected highs, then set the Toronto Raptors in scoring and Team record for assists with a monstrous Eastern Conference Finals series win, followed by a solid performance in the NBA Finals that was enough to earn him Finals MVP voting.
No, it’s safe to say the Raptors will never be able to convince VanVleet to sign with them after the draft and then keep him on the roster when the final decision is made. VanVleet did the rest, of course with the help of his coaches and development team, and what he has achieved has been remarkable.
His 20 assists Sunday against an overwhelmed Charlotte Hornets broke a record that had stood since the Raptors’ founding when another small guard nicknamed Mighty Mouse dominated Everything on the field. Damon Stoudamire’s 19 assists was way behind big man Sharone Wright (look at him. If he hadn’t suffered a career-altering injury, he’d be great), Oliver Miller and Zan Tabak also had the Raptors thriving that night growing up.