Replacing Tony Parker: 5 Candidates In 2017
By Sai Mohan
Kyle Lowry
The All-Star point guard will seek and receive nothing less than a maximum contract next summer.
While the Toronto Raptors would be able to offer him the most lucrative five-year deal, Kyle Lowry might be tempted to move to a legitimate championship contender.
Last season, Lowry averaged a career-high 21.2 points per game and led the Raptors to the second seed and a franchise-first berth in the Eastern Conference Finals.
It was undeniably the best season of Lowry’s career, which has seen a myriad of ups and downs dating back to his days in Memphis and Houston.
Lowry, who became the first Raptor to earn All-NBA honors since Chris Bosh, is now perceived as a legitimate All-Star and a top-10 point guard in the league.
But the Raptors need a lot more from Lowry, DeMar DeRozan & Co. to get past LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. For as long as James is in the East, it seems like Lowry and the Raptors, not to mention the rest of the teams, are destined to be denied a berth in the NBA Finals.
Lowry would be a nice fit under Gregg Popovich. His tenacious playing style has often earned him comparisons to a pit bull. Like most Spurs players, Lowry is a dodged defender and system player.
Even though Lowry attempted 15.6 shots per game last season, he’s a read-and-react floor general who gets his players into good positions at most times.
Also, Lowry isn’t afraid of physicality, leading the league in most charges drawn (among all point guards) over the last three seasons.
The Spurs would be thrilled to replace Tony Parker with Kyle Lowry. No question about it.
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