In a moment more important than the results of the game, Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry injured his right ankle on Monday night. While the injury is tough to swallow, no one is to blame.
As the ball was bouncing off the rim, it just looked like it might be trouble. New York Knick center, Mitchell Robinson, attempted to steal the offensive board from Kyle Lowry, and when he missed, Robinson began to tumble. He rolled up under Kyle’s legs, injuring Lowry’s right ankle. Just like that, the Toronto Raptors watched their season flash before their eyes.
The good news is, reports indicate the injury is not believed to be serious. Considering how bad it originally looked, Toronto will be happy to concede a few week absence.
Even if Lowry is only forced to miss a week or two, the impact of his injury should not be understated. Just as the Raptors were about to reach full strength for the first time all season, the injury bug strikes again. It’s unclear if the team will be able to play even one regular season game with everyone available.
And while this information might be tough to swallow for both the Raptors organization and for fans, if you’re looking to assign blame, you can probably stop at bad luck.
Mitchell Robinson
The play was a bit reckless, but it wasn’t dirty. Mitchell Robinson is a rookie playing the game at 1,000 miles per hour, trying to make ensure a spot in the rotation next season. A veteran knows to give up on that play. Robinson was a bit overzealous. That does not make him dirty.
Watching a play in slow-motion gives everyone the opportunity second guess every decision a player makes. But the game doesn’t happen in slow motion. Robinson didn’t have time to plot out his injury of Lowry and then conveniently make it look like a hustle play.
There was no bad blood between the two players. Lowry’s injury doesn’t benefit Robinson in any way. He was a young kid playing like a bull in a china shop. The play was absolutely a tad reckless. Calling it dirty is a step over the line.
Nick Nurse
It’s also easy to point a finger at Nick Nurse. The Raptors were up 34 at the time of Lowry’s injury, and the game was already decided.
But the Raptors aren’t playing strictly for wins and losses anymore. They’re preparing themselves for the postseason. Lowry played 26 minutes and the game was in the third quarter. You can’t gain chemistry with your teammates if you’re not on the court with your teammates.
It’s a crazy notion, but Basketball players need to play basketball. What’s the point of having Lowry available to play in games if you’re not actually going to play him. Lowry was just as likely to injure himself playing in a close game against the Detroit Pistons as he was in a blowout against the New York Knicks.
Any hand-wringing of Lowry still being on the court is a case of playing the results. Now that he’s injured, it’s easy to say he shouldn’t have been on the court. Were you screaming for him to be taken out prior to the injury?
It’s not easy to hear, but sometimes, there is no one to blame. Sometimes bad situations just happen. Kyle Lowry’s injury sucks for the Toronto Raptors. That doesn’t make it someone’s fault.