LOWRY’S IN NO RUSH TO RETURN TO LINEUP
Despite the Raptors’ struggles at times, star guard knows only rest will heal wrist
Kyle Lowry confirmed something we suspected since he underwent surgery on his right wrist. The injury didn’t just happen.
It was a problem he had been dealing with over time and it got to the point where he was no longer able to play effectively.
He banged it again on Feb. 15 heading into the all-star break, but it wasn’t something he hadn’t done plenty of times before that.
“From what I’ve been told, it’s a 10-year process,” Lowry said. “It’s a long process of wear and tear and bumping and grinding and hitting guys. It’s a little bit of wear and tear. It was just at the point where it got a little bit worse to the point where I couldn’t play. If it’s that serious for me, I knew it was something that needed to be checked on.”
Lowry still went to the All-Star Game, took part in the threepoint shooting contest and even played a game of golf after that Charlotte game on Feb. 15. Lowry took some heat from the fan base for that, but it had absolutely no effect on him.
“I didn’t pay no attention to it to be honest,” Lowry said. “I enjoyed my all-star weekend. If anybody had any problem with it, come say it to my face. That’s how I feel.”
Lowry sees no reason for there to be a backlash.
“I didn’t pay attention to people,” he said. “Whatever was said — I know how I felt about it and I know what I said about it. I don’t have any regrets on anything I do. I go about and do everything I can and I feel wholeheartedly good about every decision I’ve made in my life.”
Lowry said he has an idea of when he would like to return in order to be at his best when the playoffs roll around, but he wasn’t willing to share that date with media.
“I have, not a target date, but I know what I would like to do,” Lowry said. “Hopefully we can get it done and we’ll go from there. For me, it’s making sure I’m completely healthy. I don’t want to have to be not full Kyle going into any situation. I want to be able to go out and play and not have any hold back.”
The Raptors are a lesser team without Lowry in the fold. Yes, the team is 4-2 so far in his absence, but DeMar DeRozan has had to be almost superhuman in a handful of those games to get to that record.
When teams lock in on him the way the Milwaukee Bucks did on Saturday, scoring for the Raptors becomes extremely tough.
These two days of practice in Miami — a mini-training camp, coach Dwane Casey is calling it — will allow the Raptors to work toward finding other sources of offence so teams can’t just zero in on DeRozan. Or if they do, it will be at their own peril.
Lowry believes it would be a mistake to try to shoehorn one guy into that role of secondary scorer.
“We have a bunch of options: Jonas Valanciunas, Serge Ibaka, you could bring Freddy VanVleet in, Delon (Wright)’s doing a good job of getting into the paint, Cory (Joseph)’s scoring well. It’s not about having options now, it’s a collective effort. DeMar is the guy, that’s the guy, but it’s about having a collective effort to be a second option.”
For his part, Lowry is thrilled with what the Raptors have been able to accomplish in his absence.
“They’re doing an unbelievable job. I’m proud of this team and I think they’ll continue to get better, they’ll continue to get wins while I’m out,” Lowry predicted. “Unfortunately, I’m not there to take a little bit of the burden off DeMar, Cory and the guys, but Delon, Fred, they’re coming in and taking up the challenge.”
Lowry made the decision to travel with the team and be on the bench throughout his absence because he still believes he can help.
Behind the scenes, Lowry is doing what he can to speed the healing process and get back as soon as possible.
“I just basically have to rehab it, get it stronger, full extension,” Lowry said. “Right now there’s still some swelling in there, still some inflammation in there. It’s just a basic rehab: get it stronger, get that flexibility back and do as much as I can to tolerate any pain. Still, I’m going to see my doctor in another week. I’m not even a week out from surgery. Whatever the progress is, I’m optimistic.”
Lowry knows now that rushing the process is probably the wrong tactic.
He’s able to run and keep his cardio at a decent level, but the wrist basically just needs time to recover from the surgery.
In the meantime, he’ll make himself useful staying in the ear of young point guards Wright and VanVleet.
“I talk to Freddy all game. I know he’s probably tired of me talking to him,” Lowry said. “I talk to him all game and Delon and I tell those guys you see certain situations, you’ve got to know what’s going on, what you’re needed to do. I’ve been in their positions before — you’ve got to watch the game and see what needs to be done. Change of pace, defence, offensively, you have to be able to come in and affect the game ... that’s going on. If you need to pick up full court or you need get in the paint a little bit more or you need to get Jonas or Serge a shot, those types of things I talk to them about.”
The help is nice and Wright said it’s always welcome, but the biggest help Lowry can offer to this team is when he’s on the floor directing traffic himself.
And it’s going to be a few weeks before we see that.