Fred VanVleet shooting less in early stages of Raptors’ regular season

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MIAMI — Three games into the Toronto Raptors season, there has been a significant shift in their offence.

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Point guard Fred VanVleet has gone from a high-volume shooter to the guy in the starting five who takes the fewest shots.

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Yes, it’s a small sample size and it could easily go the other way. It’s not like VanVleet has forgotten how to shoot.

But to hear VanVleet tell it, this is the approach they are going with for the time being and he’s fine with it.

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“The starting lineup was what I was most worried about, and I think we have kind of figured that out a little bit,” VanVleet said in response to a question that started out being about bench scoring. “I just have to take less shots and it seems to work out just fine, so I’m not having an issue just being a distributor and helping those guys get the shots they want to get and just focus on defence.”

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Through three games VanVleet’s shots per game are down from 16.9 a game a year ago to just 9.7 a game this year.

Gary Trent Jr. and Scottie Barnes are close to their shot volume of a year ago, while OG Anunoby seems to be getting more touches with the ball, but even his shots per game are down from 14.5 a year ago to 11.7 now.

Pascal Siakam is the only appreciable gain in shots per game by a Raptors’ starter going from 17.8 to 20 a game this year.

LOSE ONE, ADD ONE

Barnes was walking with a slight limp post game after he had X-rays on his right ankle sprain.

Barnes was headed for an MRI before Monday’s game and head coach Nick Nurse does not expect him in the lineup for the second of back-to-back games in Miami.

Barnes also hurt his left shoulder in the game, but he returned to play after sustaining that injury.

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Chris Boucher, who has been on the bench in street clothes all three games after sustaining a hamstring injury during the pre-season should be back for Monday’s game.

His return should be a boost to the bench which chipped in with a solid 32 points in its best game of the season on Saturday.

The Raptors are still waiting on the first regular season action of off-season free agent signee Otto Porter Jr.

Porter Jr., like Boucher, has been sidelined by a hamstring injury and while he’s doing a little more each day, a return Monday isn’t expected.

ABOUT THAT BENCH

VanVleet, like Siakam, cut his teeth in the league as a member of Toronto’s memorable bench mob.

Recreating another unit with the kind of success that bench mob had has not been easy, but VanVleet sees the pieces there this year to make it work.

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“The league is all about opportunity and rhythm,” VanVleet said. “Especially for guys that are on limited minutes, limited rotation, limited opportunity. You just got to know when you are checking in and know the rotation and know the rhythm, know where the shots are coming from, know what you are supposed to do when you are out there.

“We have been in a tough spot the last couple of years trying to win and develop and do all those things at the same time,” VanVleet said. “So, I think we will find it. I think once we get everyone back healthy, we will find that defined rotation, and it will flow a little better than it has been.”

FRUSTRATION SHOWING

Going into his seventh season, VanVleet has pretty much established the type of player he is in this league. One thing VanVleet has shown without any doubt is an ability to defend and defend at a high level without fouling. So on Saturday night with a young officiating trio handling the game, VanVleet was a little shocked with the treatment he got from the refs.

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VanVleet had four fouls at the half and picked up a fifth early in the third quarter forcing him to play the bulk of that second half knowing his next foul would end his night.

It never did come and VanVleet finished the game on the floor.

He was asked about the difficulty of playing an entire half, or most of one while sitting on five fouls.

“It wasn’t difficult at all because it was officiated the correct way in the second half,” VanVleet said. “It was really that simple. It’s so different night to night. I mean we played (Friday) night, less than 24 hours ago and I didn’t do that much differently tonight than I did (the previous) night. But that’s the way it goes. There are different crews, different ways they want to call the game and I was on the wrong end of that.

“But I think they got it right the second half,” VanVleet repeated. “I’m a pretty good defender. I’ve been at the top of that list in the last couple of years of my career and I know how to defend. I’m not saying I never foul or I’m not physical, but whatever …”