Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA Player Power Rankings: Three-Quarter Season Awards

By Maxwell Ogden

Feb 22, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts with forward Draymond Green (23) after making a three point shot against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 22, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts with forward Draymond Green (23) after making a three point shot against the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
13 of 23
Next
Mar 6, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) handles the ball during pre-game shoot around prior to playing Houston Rockets at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) handles the ball during pre-game shoot around prior to playing Houston Rockets at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

11. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors

Award: All-NBA Third Team

Last Rank: No. 10

Position: Point Guard

Age: 29

Slash Line: .443/.397/.836

Season Averages: 37.1 MPG, 21.7 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.9 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 2.8 3PM

Kyle Lowry is consistently overlooked in the discussion about the best point guards in the NBA. Fresh off of his second consecutive All-Star Game appearance, however, Lowry is firmly establishing himself as one of the top players in the Association—regardless of their position.

Most significantly, Lowry is a complete meltdown away from leading the Toronto Raptors to a franchise record 50 wins.

Lowry is routinely breaking down the opposition as he anchors the Raptors’ offense as both a scorer and facilitator. He’s also leading Toronto’s effort on the defensive end, both playing the passing lanes and picking the opposition’s pocket along the perimeter.

By the advanced metrics, Lowry is No. 5 in the NBA in Win Shares, and No. 2 amongst point guards in Defensive Real Plus-Minus.

By the more basic of numbers, Lowry is No. 15 in scoring average and No. 11 in assists per game. He accounts for 37.1 points per game, which is good for 36.1 percent of the Raptors’ total offense—something that fails to measure the plays Lowry sets in motion without being credited for scoring or assisting the basket.

Lowry is easy to overlook based on name value alone, and he must prove himself in the playoffs, but he’s been one of the NBA’s brightest stars in 2015-16.

Next: Empty Numbers or Unfortunate Situation?