Kyle Lowry and the new Raptors are clicking on all cylinders

Kyle Lowry is back, healthy and learning to connect with his new teammates. How’s that working out so far?

Toronto Raptors’ Kyle Lowry missed 18 games due to a wrist injury. During that period, many people questioned how he would fit in with his new teammates, Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker, once he returned to the lineup. As well, there were some who wondered how his presence on the court would affect the chemistry that was built during his absence. A few games in and we (sort of) have an answer: the Raptors are gelling well together.

All three games since Lowry’s return on April 5th have been victories. Happily, the main players’ numbers didn’t take a big hit. DeMar DeRozan is still scoring a bunch of baskets (except in one game), and Tucker is still getting 25-plus minutes while being a pest on defense. Ibaka is taking 3 fewer shots per game.

In addition to the team’s chemistry not getting tainted, the Raptors’ defense is now more efficient. In the three games before Lowry’s return (Mar. 29, Mar. 31, and April. 4), the team had a defensive efficiency rating of 1.068. But in the last three games, their defensive efficiency improved to 1.005. DeRozan cites Lowry’s defensive mindset for this improvement. Per The Toronto Star:

"“Defensively, just having his mind and body out there does a lot,” DeMar DeRozan said of Lowry after the Raptors wrapped up the home portion of their regular season by subduing the Miami Heat at the Air Canada Centre on Friday night. “A lot of times, Kyle don’t have to get it going scoring-wise to will us to a victory. That’s the great thing about him.”"

A work in progress

But not everything is perfect. A couple of days after Lowry put up 27 points and 10 assists against the Detroit Pistons, he told reporters that he and his two new teammates need to work on their on-court communication. Per The Canadian Press:

"“There was a couple of possessions where me and Serge’s communication or me and PJ’s communication was off,” said Lowry. “It was all just communication. It wasn’t nothing where it was like ‘you missed that timing,’ it was ‘alright, this is what we want to do, this is where it’s going to be.”‘"

Though the Raptors are playing well and the players are clicking with each other thus far, it has only been three games. We can’t really tell if Lowry and company are truly meshing well with each other. So do you think they will continue to be a well-oiled machine throughout the playoffs or will there be some sort of glitch that will negatively affect their team chemistry? Let us know in the comments below.