All-Star Starters Announced Tonight: Will Kyle Lowry Be In?
Canadian basketball fans will be able to watch the 2015 All-Star Game starters selection announcement tonight at 7 p.m. Tune in to see if Kyle Lowry will get to wear an Eastern Conference jersey this February in New York. With voting now completed, all that Toronto Raptors fans can do is hope that Lowry’s excellent play will be rewarded.
Lowry should be an All-Star this season, even if he can’t find his way into the starting lineup. The final voting count (published with a week left in the voting period) had Lowry trailing Dwyane Wade by over 100,000 votes for the second place spot among Eastern Conference guards. Keep in mind, Wade has only played 32 games this season, whereas Lowry has played 42. Unfortunately, the All-Star voting often favours big names over talented players earning career-best seasons.
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Lowry was snubbed out of an All-Star spot last season, when Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan was picked to come off the bench. Based on his numbers, Lowry deserved the spot just as much as DeRozan did. The two should have come on together, but alas, East head coach Frank Vogel (Indiana Pacers) decided against putting both teammates on his squad.
This season, there should be no doubt that Lowry gets to represent the East. While he should be a starter based on merit, his stats have easily earned him a reserve role. With DeMar DeRozan out for 21 games earlier in the season (groin), Lowry stepped up in a huge way for the Raptors, essentially willing the team to victory any time he was on the court (which was a lot).
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His offensive game has become so much more diverse this season. He can shoot three-pointers, drive to the hoop and absorb contact, or knock down two-point field goals with a 48% accuracy. This essentially means that he can score from anywhere. So, even when teams throw double team defence at him, he can often find a way to make his shots fall. Plus, when you mix his elite shooting with his passing skills, he becomes an absolute star for a team that so badly needed one without DeRozan.
Lowry is averaging 19.8 points, 7.5 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. He is shooting 43% from the field and 80% from the charity stripe. Those are wonderful numbers, but become even more impressive when you compare them alongside his defensive prowess. Despite his aggressive approach to defence, Lowry averages only three personal fouls per game. He also hounds ball handlers, earning 1.6 steals each game. He is fast enough to stay with any guard and strong enough to keep them away from the hoop.
Kyle Lowry is an All-Star, let’s just hope that he is a starter. You can watch the announcement tonight at 7 p.m., on TSN.