Kyle Lowry’s shooting stroke is a huge problem for the Toronto Raptors… well, unless we’re talking about halfcourt shots:
Kyle Lowry hit this crazy half court shot to send last night's game to OT. https://t.co/sM9Ku6ygf0
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 4, 2016
Despite any public claims — from Lowry or anyone else — that his elbow injury is not affecting his shooting stroke, the numbers don’t lie in this instance. An established pattern is too entrenched to ignore with Lowry, who had the elbow drained and consequently lives with a body part that’s different from what he previously carried onto the court:
SCARY: Kyle Lowry has only one game where he's shot better than 42 percent from the field since March 20.
— Chris Walder (@WalderSports) May 4, 2016
Entering this Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Miami Heat, Crossover Chronicles contributor Jovan Alford focused on the need for Goran Dragic to win his matchup with Lowry if the Heat were going to prevail. That contention was substantially affirmed after Game 1 on Tuesday night. Dragic scored 26 points to carry the scoring workload for a Miami team whose offense was otherwise stagnant. When comparing Dragic and Lowry as scorers, the duel between the two guards was no duel at all. Dragic won going away.
The real key, tbough, in the Dragic-Lowry comparison from Game 1 is not found in the scoring column. Lowry didn’t have to score, but he did have to create and attack… and he failed. This is what must change for Toronto in Game 2 and beyond.
Yes, it’s a big loss for the Raptors that Lowry’s jumper is broken, but that’s been clear for some time. Lowry must make the fundamental adjustment of ditching the jumper and putting pressure on Miami’s defense, thereby getting his teammates in position to do the scoring.
This is where a timeless basketball reminder is worth repeating: Scoring is hardly the full measure of how well a player performs, or how much he contributes to his team. That’s the beauty of this sport: Players can dramatically influence the flow or outcome of a game (or both) without scoring.
Consider Miami big man Hassan Whiteside as one example. He collected 17 rebounds in Game 1, and his mere presence in the paint intimidated the Raptors for most of the night.
Dwyane Wade did score 24 points for the Heat, but his biggest contributions were his late-game blocks and steals, plus an assist pass he made on the basket which should have put this game away in regulation… but didn’t, because of Lowry’s halfcourt prayer:
Goran Dragic with the clutch corner 3!
(via @clippittv)#RAPTORSvHEAThttps://t.co/VZn0gbCrAY
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) May 4, 2016
Wade is, in many ways, the player Lowry must emulate. Wade might sometimes hoist bad shots, and he sometimes lapses into hero-ball (though he made it work in Game 6 against Charlotte), but for the most part, Flash is very good at thinking about the best shot his team can get in a late-game situation. When he found Dragic for the corner three late in the fourth quarter of Game 1, Wade was focused not on his ability to score, but on how he could pry open Toronto’s defense to set up the best opportunity for the Heat.
That’s what Lowry must do, and to be more specific about this, Lowry did just that at times against the Indiana Pacers. His jumper is a mess, but Lowry found ways to get into the paint, draw defenders, and set up teammates for high-quality shots. Getting into the paint — to the rim when possible — was supposed to be Lowry’s foremost need in this series at the offensive end of the floor.
Lowry spent all night shooting in an attempt to repair his stroke — it’s certainly admirable to see that kind of commitment to one’s craft:
Kyle Lowry put up shots until 1 AM after Raptors’ OT loss to Heat https://t.co/BYKNax7Meo pic.twitter.com/5Tg1efwkIq
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) May 4, 2016
Yet, that display of persistence might be more valuable because it reveals a level of determination Lowry must bring to the rest of this series.
In Game 1, Lowry’s most conspicuous flaw was that on the occasions when he had a clear driving lane, he eschewed the dribble drive He was reticent to attack the basket. It would be great if his jumper returned, but that’s an injury-related deficit which doesn’t represent a real measure of Lowry’s actual basketball prowess.
What does reflect on Lowry is his mentality. If he’s unwilling to go to the basket even when the opportunity emerges, that’s a case of a player failing to do something that’s within his control.
Kyle Lowry can only do so much about his elbow and the way he shoots jumpers. Lowry CAN do a lot more in terms of how he plays the game.
A broken jump shot is a terrible deficit to confront in the second round of the playoffs, so one can empathize with Kyle Lowry and completely understand why he’d seek to fix it. Yet, as bad as the jump-shooting problem might be, it’s hardly the worst problem for Lowry or the Raptors.
Lowry’s mindset and approach must first change if Toronto is going to win this Eastern Conference semifinal.
