7. Kyle Lowry
Kyle Lowry is one of the most exciting players to watch in the NBA. It seems like every season he commences with superstar caliber, only to leave people with even more questions concerning his durability and standing in the league towards the end of the season.
This past season, though, Lowry performed with a pace and level of talent that people hadn’t seen from him before. Losing weight and improving his conditioning and endurance last summer became vital to his best season yet.
The largest accountability for Lowry’s increased pressure to perform at a higher level stems from the continuous failure of the Raptors, a team that has had a fair share of talent. As a result, both DeMar DeRozan and he stepped up in different ways in order to become one of the best backcourts in the NBA and make their team relevant again, winning a franchise record 56 games last season.
The most visible improvement in Lowry’s game last season was through his scoring. Throughout his career, he has had an amazing ability to finish around the rim and also break down defenses with his perimeter shooting.
He has also become adept at going to the charity stripe, which helped increase his points per game to a career-high 21.2 points (up from 17.8 in 2014-15). He is a true facilitator as well, averaging 6.4 assists per game as the leader of the Toronto offense.
Another essential facet of Lowry’s game is his defensive ability. His defensive prowess is at an elite level in on-ball situations. His basketball IQ, when defending against the pick-and-roll and isolation plays, is what impacted his team so much. He averaged 2.1 steals per game as well, showing immense improvement in his ability to cut off passing lanes.
Throughout the entire 2016-17 regular season, Lowry proved his doubters wrong and continued to show his longevity. But 82 games is a long season. The Raptors did make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, yet after a full season of play, Lowry had a rough time in the playoffs. His shooting woes were a large detriment against the eventual champion Cleveland Cavaliers.
Lowry’s is amazing to watch, but it will be interesting to see if his level of play will be present throughout the entire season and playoffs in 2016-17. He would easily be higher on the point guard list if he was able to.
If the Raptors want to beat the Cavs or any Western Conference teams in the playoffs, then one of the most essential things they need to have is their All-Star point guard at his best.