Kyle Lowry injured, Raptors down but not out
The devastating news came Monday night. Kyle Lowry the Toronto Raptors starting PG and all-star would be having surgery and be out 4-6 weeks. Lowry explained in an interview late that evening that he will have a procedure to remove loose bodies from his right wrist.
The injury to Lowry was like a punch to the gut. Raptors President Masai Ujiri making two clever moves before the trade deadline softening some of the blow. The trades have given the Raptors strength and depth at every position. They moved on from Terrence Ross (plus a first rounder) for Serge Ibaka. P.J. Tucker though in my opinion is the steal as they nabbed him for Jared Sullinger (expiring contract) and a second round draft pick in 2017 and 2018.
The injury to Kyle Lowry means there will be more minutes for Cory Joseph, Delon Wright and we even had a Fred VanVleet sighting on Monday night against the New York Knicks. The Raptors have had to slightly adjust their play-style the last three games without Lowry, playing a more complete game instead of relying on their offense. Ibaka and Tucker’s impact on defence is already being felt on the Raps, going from nineteenth to seventeenth in a defensive efficiency rating in just three short games.
Lowry’s presence still felt
Lowry has given us many examples of why some of his teammates affectionately call him “Coach Lowry”. Examples of this are, being inside the huddle of coaches during timeouts to yelling and instructing players from the sidelines. His exuberance and passion will help him gel with his teammates. This will potentially make it easier for them to garner chemistry (on the floor) once he returns from injury.
Point guard is perhaps the game’s most important position. Having Lowry on the bench and in the locker room ready to teach and give direction to young guys Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet is invaluable. His leadership qualities will make a difference exponentially in their development.
The Contract debate
Lowry is turning 31 years old and the Raps have a tough decision to make. Do they give him a max deal and keep him, or do they let him walk to focus on younger players while trying to keep Ibaka and Tucker around?
I personally would keep Lowry; he has been the heart and soul of this team for many years. His extension in 2014 now looks like the bargain of the century. The fans love him, he goes out and plays hard every night and I can’t imagine Masai letting him walk. He and DeMar DeRozan have brought this organization to championship contender status. I hope Masai Ujiri agrees with me so the Raptors can stay in the hunt and bring a title to Toronto.