Toronto Raptors: Whose stock is rising/falling in Game 1 and Game 2?

With games one and two out of the way for the Toronto Raptors, it’s time to reflect on some performances throughout the week. Whose stock rose, and whose fell?

Well, hey. Welcome to Toronto Raptors playoff season. Finally.

If you’re new to this column, welcome aboard. You’ve arrived at the perfect time. If this isn’t your first rodeo, thanks for sticking around. You have given this young whippersnapper a purpose in life. And if you check in as and when you please: pick a side already.

Either way, you are here and that’s all that matters. So let’s just get straight to brass tax.

Game 1…was disappointing for a million reasons. Kyle Lowry failed to put points on the board, while his counterpart D.J. Augustin registered a quarter century of points, including a game-winner drilled from three.

A lot of people reacted exactly how you might think. They were not happy, and a lot of the disgruntled comments were directed towards Kyle Lowry’s goose egg, despite the All-Star point guard posting seven rebounds, eight assists and a +12 rating on the night.

Okay, I know, zero points are inexcusable. I know.

It was the main talking point from a series opener that was meant to inspire so much hope. It felt like a rerun of nearly every game one we’ve seen in the past, well, forever. The Raptors record in game one scenarios now sits at an unequivocally poor 2-14 record.

But, because the Toronto Raptors are the clearly superior team in this series, they bounced back in a superior fashion. Trouncing the Orlando Magic 111-82 on Tuesday night. If game one was an outlier for many reasons, including the Magic shooting 48-percent from three, then game two was probably a little bit closer to the line of probability.

As many rational people expected, Lowry bounced back. Because, well, he is a good player and every narrative that exists about him choking in the playoffs is a lie.

More than that, playoff Kawhi Leonard exists once more. And holy cow, that man is just incredible at basketball. If these are the last few months that we’ll get to see him in a Raptors jersey, just be grateful. We’re in rarefied air.

But, because we’re all fans of misery, let’s just start with the bad.