Toronto Raptors Need Kyle Lowry Before It’s Too Late
The Toronto Raptors would not be in the Eastern Conference finals without Kyle Lowry, but now they need him to step up and deliver before it’s too late.
The Toronto Raptors need Kyle Lowry. There’s no way around it. When he goes, the Raptors go.
Through the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals, Lowry has struggled mightily. He followed up his eight point performance in Game 1 with a 10 point performance in Game 2, which included a brief exit to the locker room late in the second quarter to decompress.
So far this series the 30-year-old point guard is 1-of-15 from three, 8-of-28 from the field overall, and has more turnovers (9) than he does assists (8).
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It’s apparent the Raptors miss center Jonas Valanciunas, but if Lowry was able to play anywhere near the level he did during the regular season, he could at least mitigate the loss of JV.
Instead, he’s a shell of his regular season self. Consistently throughout this postseason we’ve seen Lowry settle for threes, penetrate less to the hoop, remain stationary in offensive sets, and essentially minimize his role in the Raptors’ offence.
Keep in mind, this is a player who scorched the Cavaliers during the regular season, averaging 31 points per game over the course of three meetings.
It’s tough to pinpoint what exactly is wrong with Lowry. He says his elbow is fine, but you figure it has to be bothering him to some extent since he’s never really rested it. He also says he’s confident, but, really, what else is he supposed to say when asked about his mental state?
It’s likely a combination of both physical and mental fatigue that is troubling Lowry. But when you look across the court and see LeBron James consistently leading his team, and even igniting the crowd with a two-handed reverse slam, it leaves something to be desired as a Raptors’ fan.
Lowry obviously doesn’t have the same skill set as LeBron, but his value to the Raptors is similar to what LeBron means to the Cavs. Unfortunately, what Lowry does well, which is command the offence in half court situations and get to the rim, we’ve seldom seen.
His jump shot has been sporadic for 16 playoff games now and by the looks of things it isn’t coming back anytime soon. With that in mind, it’s even more puzzling as to why he doesn’t attack Kyrie Irving.
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Irving is an offensive dynamo, but it’s no secret that he is an average defender at best. If the Raptors have any chance of beating the Cavs, they need to exploit Irving’s defence, or at the very least, make him work harder.
If Lowry is incapable of attacking Irving, perhaps running an unconventional high-screen and roll with DeMar DeRozan, someone who has never been shy to attack opponents in iso-sets, would be beneficial.
Just because Lowry isn’t shooting well doesn’t mean that he can’t be a factor for the Raptors. Like we saw in Game 7 against the Miami Heat, his offensive capabilities go beyond just scoring.
He’s a distributor. A quick thinker. A floor general who commands the offence. However, through two games of the Eastern Conference finals he’s been anything but that.
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There are more issues with the Raptors than just Lowry. Anybody who has watched this series can see the talent gap between the two teams. But if the Raptors are going to have any shot at possibly stealing a game from the Cavs, they’re going to need Kyle Lowry to find a way to become a factor.