Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry will be vital to team’s success in new role

Strengths

Since his inception into the league, Lowry has seen his stock rise.

Once a 24th overall pick of the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2006 Draft, the former Villanova Wildcat has risen to a premier facilitating guard in the league.

In each of his first six seasons with the Raptors, Lowry has averaged double-digit scoring. His lowest total came his first year with the franchise when he tallied 11.6 points per game. Since then, his scoring has added rocket fuel.

The aging guard not only facilitates for the starting lineup, as shown by his Raptors’ career average of 6.8 assists but is able to play off-ball as well.

Following his third year with the franchise, Lowry sought to improve and rely on his jumper from outside the arc. Since the adjustment took place, he has averaged over seven attempts from outside a game, shooting a respectable 39, 42 and 40-percent in the last three seasons.

Atypical for scoring guards in the league, Lowry has been able to thrive with a sub-30 percent usage rate. The efficiency comes not only from his success outside but overall from the field as Lowry has maintained a quality true shooting percentage, with a 59.8 percent clip last season.

In Nurse’s new space and pace system, Lowry is set to thrive, increasing his scoring output after a down year last year, with a new pair of shooters by way of the DeRozan trade.