Kyle Lowry is the most important player on the Toronto Raptors

The summer of 2012 was a turning point for Lowry and the Raptors

Before coming to Toronto, Lowry had only been a full-time starter for one season. His best season came with the Houston Rockets, where Lowry averaged 14.3 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. Lowry had a poor reputation around the league. He clashed with Lionel Hollins in Memphis and Kevin McHale in Houston.

Even though the Raptors were high on Lowry, he wasn’t handed anything. Calderon started 30 games during Lowry’s first season. However, on January 30, 2013, Calderon was shipped out as part of the Rudy Gay trade. At last, Lowry would be given the opportunity to prove that he could run an NBA team.

Masai Ujiri took over the Raptors in the summer of 2013. Initially, it seemed like Ujiri would start a full-scale rebuild. Lowry was 27 years old and in the final year of his contract. He didn’t fit the timeline of a rebuild. Ujiri had an agreement in principal to send Lowry to the New York Knicks. The deal was ultimately vetoed by Knicks’ owner James Dolan.

Instead of trading Lowry, Ujiri challenged him. Ujiri asked him:

“Do you want to be a $3 million player, $2 million player for the rest of your career and became a minimum player or do you want to be a $10 million player or more?”  Ujiri told him that “talent says you are that type of player, but the attitude and the way you carry yourself says the other. You can be so much better.”

After the trade fell through, it was almost as if Lowry was reborn. He averaged career highs in points (17.9), assists (7.4) and rebounds (4.7). Lowry started all 79 games he played that season. Lowry also began to show potential as a long-range shooter. He shot 38 percent from distance on 6.3 attempts per game.

Even though Lowry led the Raptors to their first playoff appearance since 2007, there was hesitation when it came to resigning him in the offseason. The Raptors lost to the Nets in the first round of the playoffs. Did the team really want to commit to Lowry long-term?

Lowry turned down offers from the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers. Lowry and the Raptors came to terms on a four-year, $48 million contract. Given the salary cap spike over the last couple of seasons, Lowry’s contract might seem like a bargain. However, the cap was only $63.1 million during the 2014-15 Season. Lowry received more than Steph Curry who had previously signed a four-year, $44 million deal.

Improvement after his first big-time deal

Even though Lowry finally had financial security and the commitment of a team, he wasn’t done. A month before Lowry’s 29th birthday, he was selected to his first All-Star team. Despite Lowry’s individual success, the team again struggled to advance in the playoffs. This time, the Raptors were swept by the Wizards in the first round.

During the summer of 2015, a new Lowry emerged. Lowry went through rigorous workouts at Villanova and then Impact Basketball in Las Vegas. He lost 15 pounds and reduced his body fat to 4.3 percent. On August 5, 2015, Kyle O’Quinn posted the first picture of ‘Skinny Kyle Lowry’ to his Instagram page and the internet exploded.

Lowry had struggled during the series against the Wizards. He averaged only 12.3 points per game and shot a terrible 21.7 percent from three-point range. Lowry hoped that his body transformation would allow him to play at a high level deep into the playoffs.

The 2015-16 Season was Lowry’s best. He averaged 22.4 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 38.8 percent from downtown. He was named an All-Star for the second consecutive year. Lowry was also named to the All-NBA Third Team.

This season, Lowry’s individual success aligned with team success. The Raptors won 56 games during the regular season. They also advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.

In the summer of 2017, Lowry was again set to be a free agent. Lowry was coming off three All-Star appearances. The Raptors as a team had made the playoffs four seasons in a row. However, again there was hesitation as to whether the team should commit to Lowry long-term.

Small point guards tend to experience a drop off after 30. Lowry was 31 years old. Committing to him long-term could come back to haunt the franchise. In the end, both sides compromised. Lowry took fewer years in exchange for a higher annual salary. He signed a three-year, $100 million deal.

Lowry expressed his love for the city of Toronto with his article “Home” on The Players Tribune. He wrote that the city is the best in the world. He said that the Raptors can be a championship-level team, sooner than later. And Lowry also wrote that if you start something, you need to finish it.

This looks like the year that the Raptors might finally be able to finish it. The Golden State Warriors are a juggernaut, but they may be vulnerable. There is a lot of tension surrounding the team with Kevin Durant’s impending free agency. Draymond Green was recently suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. Now that LeBron James has taken his talents to Los Angeles, this may be the year that the Raptors can break through.