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Kyle Lowry: Raptors PG Returning to Former Self

By Kevin Nimmock

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Despite winning their last game against the Miami Heat (102-92), the Toronto Raptors are undoubtedly in a hole. This hole in the culmination of a 3-9 stretch since All-Star Weekend, dropping the team back into a tie for third-place in the Eastern Conference, which they once dominated. This hole is the product of lacklustre defence and uncreative offence, where the Raptors have lacked consistency from just about every spot on the floor. Kyle Lowry has certainly noticed, and seems to be finally starting to return to his former self.

Like all of his teammates, he has struggled of late. Going into the break, he was one of the biggest stories of the 2014/15 season, earning career-best statistics and his first trip the All-Star Game. Lowry turned so many heads that he was voted in as a starter, playing alongside the league’s best. But, his slumping play has been evident. He just hasn’t demonstrated the poise and precision he played with early on.

There is a good chance a lot of his struggles have come from fatigue, because he has taken on more than his fare share of minutes this season, especially when DeMar DeRozan went down with a groin injury in November. He recently sat out for three games in an effort to rehab a host of small nagging injuries, but his stay on the bench was probably cut short due to team need. With the Raptors losing so badly recently, it’s hard to have the team’s best player watching in a suit.

The big test for Lowry will be how he can continue to put his fatigue and aching body on the back burner, and focus on stepping up for his team when they need it most. In the last two games, he has done just that. First, on March 10 in a loss against the San Antonio Spurs (117-107), Lowry contributed 32 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. He led his Raptors back from a 26-point deficit, but his effort ultimately wasn’t enough. Then, he contributed 19 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in a key triumph over the Heat.

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So, it appears as though Lowry is set to start putting his team on his back, in an effort to climb up the conference standings. The Raptors are two-games back of the Cleveland Cavaliers for second-place in the East. The difference between second and third will be huge this season, so it is extremely important that the Raps step it up.

If the season ended today, the Raptors would compete against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first-round of the playoffs. The Bucks are 34-32, and offer a real challenge with key players like Michael Carter-Williams and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Cavs would play the current seventh-place Indiana Pacers (30-35). The Pacers have played well recently, but still severely lack offensive firepower without Paul George.

The Raptors’ remaining 17 games should mark an interesting opportunity for Lowry to showoff once again. Whether he can raise his game to the level it needs to be at for the Raptors to succeed is going to be a defining storyline for the team this season, as they attempt to make a deep playoff push.

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