And so: We honor Lowry, despite 11 missed games and so-so shooting by his standards. He is a two-way star. He brings zero fit issues. He is as malleable as any perimeter player. Lowry is averaging 20 points (four more than Simmons) and six free throws per game after making way last season for
Kawhi Leonard, and he has not sacrificed anything as a passer or defender.
Lowry has made up for some of those missed games by playing a ton; he is tied with
James Harden for the league lead in minutes per game.
Lowry is just a brilliant, winning player. Every second he is on the floor, he is doing the exact right thing -- half-rotations on defense, extra passes, impromptu screens, little shifts along the arc to open up driving lanes, late switches, tipped rebounds. Because he is a threat everywhere -- as a shooter, cutter and quick-twitch passer -- defenses follow every one of those moves. When eyeballs fixate on Lowry, other Raptors slip into the void.
The guy is a basketball algorithm come to life.