Toronto Raptors: 2017-18 player grades for Kyle Lowry

Weaknesses

In spite of all the things that Lowry does well on the court, it only adds up to a fringe All-Star player.

For as much as I lauded Lowry’s defense, it didn’t make the Raptors a better defensive team. In fact, the Raptors gave up 2.2 fewer points per 100 possessions when Lowry was off the floor. Of course, that could have more to do with Lowry’s teammates than anything he did, but one would think that someone who has the reputation of being a good defender would make more of an impact on that side of the court.

In addition to the questionable defense, advanced metrics also rated Lowry’s offense less favorably than in years past. Among the numbers that dropped: his field goal percentage (42.7 percent), free throw attempts per game (3.3 per game), offensive win shares (7.0), box plus/minus (5.9), offensive box plus/minus (5.4) and win shares per 48 minutes (.194). Those numbers aren’t bad, but it’s alarming that they fell despite playing in 18 more games this year.

Lowry is a good player, but he has shown that there is a limit to his abilities. These limitations often manifest themselves in the playoffs.