Toronto Raptors season report cards: Grades for each Individual

Kyle Lowry

Lowry, despite his numbers being down, had a phenomenal season. Reduced minutes were key in keeping him fresh down the stretch and heading into the playoffs. He had by far his best postseason in a Raptors uniform and even though it ended horribly, he can be at peace with his individual performance – Little victories, I know.

Lowry’s season, as I mentioned, went far beyond what the numbers will portray. His points per game, at 16.2, was the second-lowest mark of his Raptors tenure – his lowest output coming way back in 2012-13, his first in Toronto. That number in isolation tells a deceiving tale. In actuality, the argument could be made that this season was, like DeRozan, Lowry’s best and most complete season in Toronto – regular season and playoffs (in the case of DeRozan, he’s yet to have what I’d call a “good from start to finish” playoff performance).

A possible area of improvement lies in Lowry getting back to attacking inside with more regularity than he showed in 2017-18. He shot the ball well from distance, but averaging fewer than five 2-point field goal attempts per night is a bit light. Finding a better balance of sniper-Kyle and bulldog-Kyle is prescribed.

Defensively was where most of the problems existed for Lowry – his defensive rating jumped 10 points in the postseason – 107 to 117. A reflection of the collective effort on the part of his team, but as the point guard Lowry was tasked with guarding the primary point of attack most possessions, and he didn’t get the job done.

Next: Why was Dwane Casey the fall guy

Ultimately, this team’s defense failed in the postseason and as a point-of-attack defender and not to mention, team leader, Lowry must accept a good dose of blame for it. But make no mistake, he is not the only one deserving of a playoff dunce cap.

GRADE: A- (B++ in playoffs – defense prevents an A-)