Kyle Lowry’s playoff struggles and the difficult question of legacy

Kyle Lowry needs to come alive during these playoffs and seize the moment or risk being judged forever as a underachiever.

Normally, if a player comes back from a significant wrist injury, he has limited minutes and performs badly. Then I would give that player a pass but Lowry is not given that privilege due to his complicated history in the playoffs. Kyle Lowry had possibly his worst game as a Toronto Raptor in game 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Lowry missed all 6 of his three pointers, shot one free throw and was held to just four measly points. This is not good enough for the team’s best player and initiator on offense to struggle as Lowry has.

Lowry during the regular season is an All-Star calibre point guard who can put forth the argument that he is the best guard in the Eastern Conference.  Yet, he has never been able to match his regular season exploits with postseason success. I don’t have remind you in 2014 his game winning shot was blocked by Paul Pierce in game 7. The following year the Raptors were swept by the Wizards in the first round with Lowry averaging 12 points a game which was down from the 18 he was averaging in the Regular season.

Lowry followed this up in the 2015-16 season where he had a career year and guided Toronto to their first 50+-win season in franchise history. The payoffs were a different beast altogether, his shot was erratic and during the first 10 playoff games he shot 32% from the field and was visibly frustrated. To his credit, he did play well in the second round against the Heat and helped the Raptors win two games in the Eastern Conference finals. Yet he has the worst field goal percentage in the playoffs (with DeRozan breathing down his neck).

Ugly numbers

No time like the present

Until Kyle Lowry overcomes his playoff nightmares, the Raptors will never get out of the Eastern Conference and reach a NBA final. He faces a stern test against a lengthy Milwaukee team eager to pull off an upset. Kyle is at best 6 feet tall and by no stretch of imagination an elite athlete. His primary defender is rookie Malcom Brogdon who has 5 inches over him making it easier for Brogdon to block shots and steal the ball from Lowry. Nevertheless, Kyle needs to mentally lock in and remember that he is an All-NBA calibre player and attack the inexperienced rookie.

Playoffs – where reputations are made or lost

Kyle has little to prove during the regular season. Fair or not, players are judge retrospectively on their playoff performances and success. Lowry is heading towards that Chris Webber paradox where we acknowledge them as very good players but lament that they never showed up during the playoffs.  This would be a real shame as Lowry deserves to be remembered as a great NBA player and a top three Raptor of all time.

There is nothing Kyle can do about his previous performances in the playoffs. That is for him to live with and mentally overcome. The future however is something different entirely. If Lowry awakens, shoots lights out, and gets the Raptors to another EC finals, he may just save his legacy. Go get them Kyle.