Toronto Raptors: Stock Take, including Pascal Siakam’s dominance

Kyle Lowry

Another year older is Kyle Lowry, but the man shows no signs of slowing down, such is his hot start to the season. The greatest player in the franchise history has stepped up for the Raptors once again, helping to fill the void left by Kawhi Leonard.

Lowry almost found is way into the column last week, but a noticeably off shooting night was enough to put it off – for one week at least. This week, however, it was far too easy to put Lowry in the up section, as he averaged 21.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game, shooting 48-percent from the field, and 39-percent from three on nine attempts per game. Lofty numbers.

The more interesting thing about it all has been Lowry’s willingness to attack the rim, which has led to him getting to the line with great frequency. Lowry has got to the line on an average of 5.8 times per game so far this season, with two games with double-digit attempts against the Pelicans and Magic.

Like always, Lowry makes the team tick like no one else in franchise history. He puts his body on the line on a nightly basis and facilitates the team at an elite level. His assist percentage has dropped by 7-percent from last year, but Lowry has taken on a larger scoring load so far this season and has stepped back into the role perfectly.

I dropped this little nugget on Twitter earlier in the week too, which highlights just how good Lowry has been in transition so far this season. He’s always looking to push the pace and this week was a stark reminder that he’s nowhere near finished.

Another week, another chance to prove the naysayers wrong. What a life.

VERDICT: STOCK UP