Toronto Raptors: How Every Player Helped Win The NBA Championship

KYLE LOWRY

There are few players in the NBA over the past few seasons who deserved a title more than Kyle Lowry did. His heart, passion, and tenacity have been the backbone of the Raptors for years. If there’s one thing that was brought over from the pre-Kawhi era, it’s that intensity.

Hustle stats don’t paint the whole picture but here are his anyway:
Most charges drawn (16)
Most loose balls recovered (45)
Third most deflections (65)

On top of the hustle stats, Lowry ranks near the top in box outs per game (4th) and team rebounds on boxouts (2nd).

As I said, those stats don’t tell the whole story. They don’t count all the times he hits the floor going after a loose ball, they don’t count the attempted charges that should’ve been called or the times he jumped into the crowd trying to save a possession. However, what they do is validate what we all know about his play.

Aside from that so-called bulldog mentality, Lowry being on the court generally meant the Raptors were winning. He ended up with the highest total +/- in the playoffs and held the second best in the Finals. The Raptors go as he does.

In the nine games that he had more than eight assists, they held a record of 8-1. The only loss being game one against Orlando.

There have always been questions about Lowry as a playoff performer but those stop here.

Especially with his play in the Finals. His 16 points and seven assists per game is similar to 2003 Steve Nash during that Dallas Mavericks playoff run. Playing at that level on the NBA’s biggest stage secures him in the conversation as a top performer at his position.

Signature Moment: 1st Half of Game 6 NBA Finals