Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry is the Team’s Most Valuable Player

The Toronto Raptors are off to their best start in franchise history, they sit atop the NBA with a 12-1 record, and Kyle Lowry is their most valuable player so far.

In the days and weeks after the Toronto Raptors’ trade of franchise icon DeMar DeRozan, many fans were left wondering how the move was going to affect Kyle Lowry.

“Which Kyle is going to show up? Is he going to want to stay? Is his heart going to be in it?”

Where’s Kyle at?

The first thirteen games of the season have put an end to any doubt. His play has been nothing short of spectacular.  He is having a career year in several statistical areas including leading the league with a whopping 11+ assists a game (that’s two more per game than the next guy). He has eight double-doubles and nine straight games with at least 10 assists. In thirteen games.

Playing With Heart

He is leading with heart and playing with a grit and blue-collar ethos that Toronto fans love. His PPG might not be the best of his career but that doesn’t matter. He wants to win. He is doing the dirty work when necessary, including taking those charges exactly when the Raptors need him to.

Before Saturday’s game, Lowry had taken eight charges. That’s more than most teams in the league.

And it’s not just that he takes the charge. It’s when he takes them that matters most.

"“It just feels like he always takes them at the right moment, when the other team has some momentum going,” point guard Delon Wright said."

Best Player vs Most Valuable Player

Now, Kawhi Leonard is the best player on this team. No question. No doubt. He certainly makes Kyle’s job a heck of a lot easier.

But Leonard is still getting acclimated into the new system and team after missing all but a handful of games last year.

When Kawhi isn’t playing, which has been 4 out 13 games (or 31%) so far, Kyle has been the leader. He’s averaging 18 PPG and (a nasty) 11.5 APG, with an average +/- of +11 in those four games. The Raptors won 3 of the 4 games Leonard was out, only losing to a very good Bucks squad. All three of those wins were on the road by the way.

And consider the very real possibility that Kyle might need to play without Kawhi for 10-15 more games this year.

When Kawhi is playing, Lowry is clearly better. He is averaging 17.4 points and 11.3 assists with a true-shooting percentage of .632.

When Kyle Lowry is on the floor, the Raptors have an offensive rating of 126.3 compared to 100.8 when he is off the court. That’s a +25.5 difference.

That warrants MVP discussion no matter how you slice it.

Floor General

More importantly, Lowry has been the driving force, the floor general, within the new system, finding his teammates, getting his whole team involved, knowing where to find them and taking care of the ball while doing it.

His assist to turnover rate is hovering around a staggering 4:1 ratio. That’s a career-best for Kyle and near the top of the league.

And consider that both Fred VanVleet and Delon Wright, the primary ball-handling back-ups, have spent time on the shelf with injuries. The Raptors didn’t miss a beat.

All of that is on Kyle Lowry. As Kyle goes, so do the Raptors.

Something To Prove?

Where is this inspired play coming from? Is it the new coach? The new system? Is it better health? Or is it a chip on Lowry’s shoulder? Does he have something to prove?

Marc Spears’s article on The Undefeated gives us our first insight into Lowry’s emotional state and thought process about the team, the trade and how he will react upon the return of both Coach Casey and DeMar DeRozan.

Up until now, Lowry has largely remained mum on the trade. This naturally left Raptor fans to wonder where his head was at. Would he be the Lowry the team needed him to be? Or would he fade away?

Instead of fading from the leadership role though, he has embraced it. Used it to be better; to make those around him better.

"I’m fueled by everything,” Lowry said. “It’s not even bad fuel. It’s good fuel. I try to think as positive as possible. Everything happens for a reason. You can’t get mad about things you can’t control. All you can control is yourself.”"

Lowry has matured. Not just his game. The person. We’re seeing things from him that we didn’t consistently see before.

"“It took a little bit, but I had to make peace with it right away, because it’s a business,” Lowry told Spears. “If you take it personal, you’re going to [expletive] yourself. You can’t do that in this business. I never held on to it.”"

So, if you were worried before, worry no more. Kyle is fine. He’s making everyone around him better. And what’s more, he’s playing like a beast.

Where’s Kyle at? Right where he should be, playing the like the most valuable player on the best team in the league.