Kyle Lowry Leads the Toronto Raptors to Surprising Success in the Preseason

Can Kyle Lowry Really Give the Raptors a Shot at the Playoffs?

By Ali Koskoris

The Toronto Raptors, surprisingly, lead the Eastern Division of the NBA thus far in the preseason.  The Raptors’ success could be in part thanks to the acquisition of 6-8 point guard Kyle Lowry.

AP Photo/ Rick Bowmer

Unlike the Raptors’ previous starting point guard, Jose Calderon, Lowry is not only aggressive on the offensive side, but also on the defensive end of the court.  Lowry was unable to play the first three preseason games due to an adductor strain.  In the last two games (both of which Lowry has started), he has averaged 27 minutes, 3.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2 steals, and 15.5 points—decent numbers for someone recovering from an injury. 

Lowry is a decent scorer, shooter, and passer, and has strong defensive skills.  He seems especially effective with transition play.  Lowry’s offensive leadership will be imperative to the team’s chances of having a winning season.

Lowry has performed well in the preseason, as Toronto coach Dwane Casey stated in an interview after a preseason game against the Wizards. 

“You can see he’s a rolling pin going to the basket, he gets to where he wants to go with the ball, he’s heady, he sees things that other people don’t see,” said Coach Casey.

The other positive thing about the new point guard is that Jose Calderon, the 6-3 starting point guard from last season, will now be off the bench, playing against other bench players.

But the Raptors still have a lot of work to do if they even want to think about making the playoffs. 

“Our starts are horrendous and we’ve got to find the answer for that, whether it’s lineups or combinations or whatever it is,” said Casey after the Raptors’ comeback win against the Wizards.

Despite the addition of Lowry, chances are that the Raptors won’t be able to compete with the Boston Celtics or the New York Knicks in the Atlantic Division (or any other strong teams in the NBA, for that matter) to really make an impact, and it is doubtful that they will even make the playoffs.

Kyle Lowry is the Front-runner for Most Improved Player

Kyle Lowry/AP Images

Kyle Lowry is the front-runner for Most Improved Player, but it seems "experts" did not notice.

By Matt Rose

Recently, ESPN has been polling sportswriters and experts to get their takes on the leading candidates for various awards. They also did so before the season was underway. Both times, all the experts failed to include Rockets PG Kyle Lowry on the list. Instead, they ranked him tenth in the MVP race through six weeks of the season. I don’t know about you, but I would have laughed in your face if you said Kyle Lowry is deserving of MVP talks before the season started.

ESPN places Oklahoma City G James Harden and Orlando Magic F Ryan Anderson as the front-runners for the award; they are having terrific seasons and are deservedly in the conversation. Harden has upped his scoring to 16.7 PPG from 12.2 PPG, but he is shooting nearly the same percentage as last year and all his other statistics have made only modest improvements. Meanwhile, Anderson improved to 16.0 PPG from 10.6 PPG, is shooting a lights out 42.9% from three-point range.

On the other hand, Lowry is displaying significant improvements across the board. This season he is averaging 14.9 PPG, 8.0 APG, 6.0 RPG, and 2.0 SPG. Last season he averaged 13.5 PPG, 6.7 APG, 4.1 RPG, and 1.4 SPG. Lowry has made those improvements in only one more minute per game; Harden plays over four and Anderson plays just under eight more minutes per game. What’s that mean? Harden and Anderson’s advances are partially a result of increased playing time, while Lowry’s progression is a product of his efficiency.

I don’t mean to undercut the intelligent and much more qualified experts at ESPN, but I question their failure to acknowledge Lowry—not only as a legitimate candidate—but the front-runner for Most Improved Player. It is a contradiction to mention Lowry as an MVP Candidate and not a Most Improved Player Candidate. Lowry plays on a team that receives hardly any media attention (as pretty much any team outside of LA, Boston, Miami, Dallas, and Oklahoma City does), so he will have to find a way to stand out to the “experts.”