Kyle Lowry’s Return could be Problematic For Raptors
Clearly, the Toronto Raptors would be better on paper with Lowry back in the lineup, but the timing of his return could cause some problems.
When Kyle Lowry went down with a wrist injury following the all-star break, Toronto Raptors fans collectively cried themselves to sleep. Wait, was that just me? Regardless, it was a huge blow to a team that couldn’t necessarily take one more, but here we are surviving several weeks later with an uber-competitive roster (Thank you Masai for gifting us P.J. Tucker, and Serge Ibaka). With the team beginning to gel and chemistry starting to develop, a Kyle Lowry return could interrupt the current success.
More Important: Talent or Team Chemistry?
I know it sounds crazy as Lowry has been a consistent All-Star for the past few years and he’s arguably been our best player during his entire tenure in Toronto. I cannot deny that he’d be a huge talent upgrade over Cory Joseph and a combination of Fred VanVleet and Delon Wright. The issue is that Lowry has yet to play a single game with the new additions to the team.
As we’ve seen with DeMar DeRozan, there is a certain level of energy that Tucker and Ibaka expect our stars to play with. DeMar has adjusted and single-handedly ended the Bulls Curse because of it. Lowry could have the same issue. He very clearly has a higher level of enthusiasm for defense and team play than DeRozan, but it will still take some time for him to get back to speed. This could throw the team’s game plans into disarray, but that is the case with any injury.
The Timing Couldn’t Be Worse
In my opinion, the biggest issue with his injury is the timing. At best, Lowry is going to return with only a few games remaining in the season. Those could be extremely important games, as we will most likely be battling for the 3-seed with Washington. If he doesn’t hit the ground running, we could be stuck with the Atlanta Hawks in the first round and potentially the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second.
If he doesn’t return in time for the regular season, he’ll be joining the team in the playoffs. Every single minute of every single game matters in the playoffs. We’ve also become familiar with our backcourt’s struggles in the playoffs in 2015 and 2016, but Lowry’s wrist injury could drag them down even further. It would be awesome if he came into round one and averaged 30 points per game, but I think we can safely say that won’t happen.
I’m hoping for the best. I’m hoping for Lowry to return ready to light up the league again and for the Raptors to slip ahead of the Wizards for that crucial 3rd place spot. If he comes back at full strength and everything falls perfectly, we can be extremely dangerous to the Cavaliers.
Stay cool, fans
At the same time, we need to temper our excitement for his return. A wrist injury is nothing to scoff at in basketball and it will take him some time to return to game speed as well as regain his shooting stroke. Best case scenario, we get third, beat the sixth seed (4 different teams have a realistic chance at #6), then beat the Celtics and play the Cavs competitively and maybe win. But please keep in mind that there is a worst-case scenario as well and a Kyle Lowry slow start could be the undoing of a successful season.