Kyle Lowry: The All-Star We've Always Wanted

Kyle Lowry the All-Star.  Kyle Lowry the All-Star Starter.  Not since the Boshtrich have the words Raptors, All-Star, Starter been uttered in the same sentence - Alternatively neither have the words “soft cottenelle bitch,” and never shall they.  We did it Canada (#wetheclingy). Through our crazed persistence, over the top in your face messaging (looking at you Matt #NBABALLOT  Devlin), and pleas to government officials (Thanks Stephen Harper!) our boy made it!

But we just can’t have nice things can we?

Well, not surprisingly, there’s a camp out there claiming Kyle’s inclusion as undeserved.   A very small camp.  Not even really a camp, more like a couple of kids pitching a tent in the backyard.  Actually it’s more like one kid, and he’s not a kid, he’s my idiot friend.  Okay I’ll admit, I just need an angle, one that lets me justify just how badass Kyle really is, and why Kyrie Irving sucks, and to re-inforce why my friend is such an idiot. 

By all statistical measures Kyle Lowry is having the best season in Raptors Point Guard history – bold statement, I know.  I live on the edge.  If you told every NBA team to make a list of their quality point guards – past and present, then take that list to the grocery store, the Lakers and Celtics would spend an entire day at Loblaws.  The Raptors would need about five minutes at an Esso On-The-Run, which includes 4 minutes for pumping gas.  Point being, we have an insignificant history. 

Yea sure Alvin Williams was great, but statistically he didn’t do much.  We loved him because he was part of a machine that made VC do unimaginably cool shit.  We also loved him because of his heart and determination.  We loved Jose Calderon for a while – we backed him up when KG wagged his finger in a childish power-play.  We also loved him because he was a great teammate (Sidebar, I wonder who’s taken over Gatorade distribution duties.  I have my money on Stiemsma.  I mean if he doesn’t, then what exactly is he good for?  He’s not even that great a hype guy – more on this in a later post).  In Kyle we have the perfect mix.  He’s got heart, determination, toughness, and a team first attitude.  The best part?  Kyle is more than just the, “he has heart and determination and he try’s really really hard” good.  He’s legit good, to the point where others notice, and statistics back up.   

We as Toronto sports fans have been subject to such an array of dismal talent, that our definition of great morphed somewhere along the way.  We began throwing ourselves behind players who just looked like they gave a shit (What’s up JYD, John McDonald, Leo Komarov), because when they did have talent, shit didn’t matter (eg. Chris Bosh, VC, Phil Kessel).  In Kyle, we finally have a dude who fits this morphed definition of great, but also proves it in a way that the rest of the un-tortured world does, through statistics. 

Among Eastern Conference players Kyle ranks 6^th in PER (I’m not counting Hassan Whiteside, no logic, I just don’t like his name, and he fits into my 2012 Jeremy Lin outlier rule).  Among Eastern Conference point guards he’s 2^nd in PER – Jeff Teague is first, but he’s got a usage 2 points below Kyle, which really fluffs efficiency (the more you handle the ball, the more tired you are, the less efficient you become).   Point being Kyle is really good from an efficiency perspective.  He’s also extraordinary from a pure numbers perspective – you can go to ESPN and check those yourself.  Granted he’s not been playing his best ball the last couple of weeks, but shit happens, he’s human, you get tired.   Kiss my ass idiot friend. After carrying the burden for nearly a month the dude is flat out beat. 

This shouldn't be a stain on his record however.  When you look at Kyle’s entire body of work it’s easy to surmise that he really is the most important piece to the puzzle.  A motivated Kyle Lowry is the best weapon to have.  Just look at what he did last year when he entered “eff you” mode after that botched Knicks trade.  Point being, a two week aberration isn't enough to derail a year of proven success.  I understand that as a fan base we've been taunted by greatness over and over - I’m looking at you 2002 VC, 2001 Maple Leafs, 2013 Blue Jays, Pre inception over-hyped Toronto FC.   In those moments however, when greatness does present itself, sometimes it’s worth it to enjoy it, without qualification.  Sustained greatness is a rarity that only comes every so often, but to sustain you must first achieve.   

So to my idiot friend who thinks that two weeks of average basketball tells the tale of an 82 game season.  I testify that 2 months of out of your mind basketball doesn't either, but the middle ground is still pretty damn sweet.  So don’t let his recent struggles distract you from truly appreciating the player we have.  We've always wanted a guy with grit, determination, and heart.  We finally have him, the kicker.  He’s actually really good.