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Toronto Raptors: Three takeaways from 2020 All-Star Weekend

By Jordan Skuse

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 16: Kyle Lowry #2 and Jimmy Butler #24 of Team Giannis celebrate in the third quarter against Team LeBron during the 69th NBA All-Star Game at the United Center on February 16, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 16: Kyle Lowry #2 and Jimmy Butler #24 of Team Giannis celebrate in the third quarter against Team LeBron during the 69th NBA All-Star Game at the United Center on February 16, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors
TORONTO, CANADA – FEBRUARY 10: Nick Nurse, Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors and Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors are honoured for making the All-Star Team before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 10, 2020, at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  (Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Toronto Raptors were well represented during NBA All-Star Weekend 2020. The new format made for an exciting game. Here are three takeaways from what was a successful weekend for Canada’s lone NBA franchise.

Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam, guided by Nick Nurse who at this point has got to be the odds-on favourite to win Coach of the Year, nearly willed Team Giannis to a win on Sunday during the NBA’s revamped All-Star Game. Both Raptor players (along with their coach) authored memorable evenings while playing alongside the league’s elite, with Lowry stealing the show thanks to not one but two drawn charges.

“It should’ve been three,” a half-kidding Lowry commented during an on-court interview, following Team LeBron’s victory.

Lowry was referring to the non-call on LeBron James‘ drive that saw the king steamroll the guard on his way to the basket. No call was made but despite the unfriendly whistle, Lowry remains the all-time leader in charges drawn in all-star games, with two.

The two successful charges came on Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. Can we all agree that No. 7 has no equal in the toughness department? To reiterate, six-foot-tall Kyle Lowry let both LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard run him over…in an All-Star Game! There was once upon a time when I believed the best move for Toronto was to trade Kyle Lowry, and I’m ashamed about every thinking such a thing. This most recent All-Star Game served as even more proof that Lowry deserves to be carried off the court ala Rudy when all is said and done. I hope he never wears another jersey in his career.

There was also Siakam – making his first all-star appearance, the spicy one did not look out of place among the NBA’s most cherished gems. In a fourth-quarter that felt like a playoff game at times, Siakam spent a good chunk of it guarding Kawhi Leonard and did an admirable job defending his former teammate. Challenges like that, even coming in an exhibition game, will serve Siakam very well down the road.

Overall, this past weekend was a very successful one for Toronto.

Let’s start with some praise for Nick Nurse’s coaching staff:

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