Raptors' Lowry becoming a star
TORONTO - Kyle Lowry is arguably one of the NBA's most underrated players. All the Toronto Raptors point guard does in produce. Yet, the Philadelphia native has never been an NBA all-star.
TORONTO - Kyle Lowry is arguably one of the NBA's most underrated players.
All the Toronto Raptors point guard does is produce. Yet, the Philadelphia native has never been an NBA all-star.
"At the end of the day, I can't worry about what other people do," said Lowry, a ninth-year veteran. "I have to go out there and do my job. If people make all-stars, and I'm winning, I'm happy with that. I'm not caring about anything but winning.
"Individual accolades come when you win as a team. That's how I look at everything."
Lowry and the Raptors (5-1 as of Saturday) are expected to do a lot of winning this season. Toronto heads into Sunday's gamut against Lowry's hometown 76ers with the best record in the Eastern Conference. The former standout at Villanova and Cardinal Dougherty High has had a lot to do with it.
Lowry averaged 18.5 points, 6.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in the Raptors' first six games.
He produced consecutive eye-dropping performances this past week against the Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo and Washington Wizards' John Wall, two of the league's elite point guards.
Lowry scored a season-high 35 points and had a key steal in the closing minute of Wednesday's 110-107 victory over the Celtics. Then on Friday, the 28-year-old had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 103-84 rout of the Wizards. It was Lowry's fourth triple double, a Raptors record.
That's not bad considering Lowry came to Toronto from the Houston Rockets in July 2012 trade.
"I think he's a stud," Sixers coach Brett Brown said of the muscular 6-foot-1, 204-pounder. "He's a bowling ball. He's a pit bull. . . . He's grown on me."
Lowry's biggest attributes have been his maturity and leadership.
His personality came into question at times during his days with the Memphis Grizzlies and Rockets.
"He's gotten away from the reputation of being a bad teammate or whatever the perception was," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "So he's grown from that."
That's why Casey thinks Lowry is getting more recognition.
"He deserves more," the coach added. "He should have made the all-star team last year. And I think just the maturity level he's gone through has really helped him."
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