Lowry’s strong play is a matter of time
Kyle Lowry’s relentless, allout-effort style of play powers the Toronto Raptors during regular-season contests, but has led at times to burnout once April and May roll around.
The organization has been trying to figure out a way to keep Lowry rested and in optimal shape for the playoffs while still winning as many games as possible before then.
They haven’t found answers yet.
Now, with the 31-year-old point guard the oldest player on the team by more than a full year over C.J. Miles, and more than three years older than third-oldest DeMar DeRozan, a workable plan might be in place.
Compared to last season, Lowry is averaging 5.1 fewer minutes per game — the equivalent of two full games when you add up the minutes.
“It’s something we’ve been working on. We talked about it the last three years. Now we’re doing it,” Lowry said after practice on Monday morning, pointing to the emergence of point guards Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet, which has added to the team’s depth and brought youthful enthusiasm into the mix.
Lowry has topped 37 minutes only twice after doing so in 12 of the first 19 contests in 2016-17.
While Lowry says his body feels great, the on-court results have been mixed. His rebounding numbers have rocketed up about 50 per cent, he leads the NBA in charges taken, he’s hit 90 per cent of his free-throw attempts and most of his defensive metrics have improved, even if his steals are down. But he isn’t pleased with his overall play, mostly honing in on a brutal shooting slump to begin the year.
“For me, I’m kind of finding my rhythm now. I’m starting to play a lot better,” he said.
The numbers bear that out. Over the first six games, Lowry hit only a third of his three-point attempts and 37 per cent of his shots overall. Over the past five, he’s been as good as any NBA player, nailing half of his shots, including 3.8 three-pointers a night at a 48.7 per cent clip, all in less than 34 minutes a game on average.
Lowry, whose Raptors are off until they host the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, says figuring out an optimal workload remains a work in progress.
“Me personally, I don’t know it. I’m either gonna play or I’m not. I think the coaches have done a great job with it. I don’t know how many minutes I’m averaging, but I can definitely tell the difference with being given more rest,” he said.
“I’m feeling fresh. I’m feeling good. At the same time, when I’m playing a lot of minutes, I get a little bit of a rhythm.”