It’s probably not 10 metres from Fred VanVleet’s designated spot to the doorway that leads to the inner sanctum, shower and treatment area of the Raptors locker room, and to watch him traverse that short distance last Friday night was something else.
Slow and methodical doesn’t begin to explain his gait, his pace, his stroll. It’s not painful to watch, but it sure seems painful to do, and it doesn’t make sense given the fact that VanVleet is a 25-year-old professional athlete still waiting to get to the prime of his career.
But it does make sense because it exemplifies just how hard VanVleet plays every single night, and how much he coaxes out of his six-foot, 195-pound frame.