One of the reasons why Kyle Lowry never really improved as one might want during his tenure at Memphis Grizzlies is because the Grizzlies were a stagnant non-competitive team. As noted by all scouts, Kyle Lowry plays with tremendous energy and tenacity which helps make up for his limited physique. But it is hard for him to maintain such a high level of play when the team is gunning for a high lottery pick and playing in an empty arena. Guys who are naturally talented are prone to shine on poor teams, while the smart fundamental players are usually not appreciated until they land in a good system. Imagine if Lowry was drafted by the Celtics and played with Garnett, Pierce and Allen. Lowry's team play, smarts and hustle would be encouraged and praised by his teammates and the media. Most point guards need good systems and teammates to play in/with. Unless one is looking for a guard in the likes of Marbury, Iverson and Baron. So that is why I throw everything out the window when it comes to Lowry's stay with the Grizzlies and him seemingly losing out to Conley and Mayo.
Count me amongst the happiest of Rockets fans when we got Lowry...kept a track of him at Nova, unfortunately didnt get to watch as many games as I would've liked when he got to Memphis, but always kept an eye on the internet highlights and reports. He's been big for us this season - Next year he will be HUGE. I might just go and buy me a Lowry Rockets jersey right now.
From a memphis perspective: Kyle Lowry probably seems like he is something great because Lowry is so agressive going to the basket. But just you wait and see when he starts driving to the basket 5 times in a row out of control and you'll know exactly why the grizzlies traded him. Lowry has not court vision or awareness, he is an average finisher and decent on defense. He has no outside shot and only relies on his driving abilities. He is an above average at the free throw line. He is a hard nosed player, but he is nowhere near the player you guys think he is. Conley is by far the better player and it isn't even close.
couldn't say it better myself. lowry's assist numbers would be a a lot better if the excuse of an offense marc iavaroni used actually worked one time. playing with the likes of andre borwn, casey jacobsen, hakim black hole warrick, quinton ross, stromile swift, jason collins and the other scrubs from the grizz 2nd unit the past two years doesn't really translate into many chances for assists. i could go on for days with the problems the grizzlies had and how it made kyle just another no-name second stringer to 98% of NBA fans. btw knet i live in NJ and am a nets season ticket holder. so upset when they took boone and marcus williams instead of lowry. what a big mistake that was haha. i cant wait to se how kyle performs in the playoffs. He always stepped up big in the NCAA tourney including 18 pts in the loss to UNC in the 2005 sweet 16. some of you might remember it more as the "allan ray phantom travel game". it still makes me mad to think about what could have been that year...
i don't know if he's going to improve much. the guy is a hard nosed gritty player who attacks the basket. if he wants to improve he needs to improve his jumpshot first and foremost.
They are just bad at evaluating talent. Don't forget they traded Gasol for Kwame Brown. The Lowry trade is just another bade trade for them.
wow that is very interesting. comparing lowry to bonzi wells.... lowry doesnt strike me as a guy thats grateful to be playing in the NBA like say, carl landry, and he doesn't seem like he's always interested in the game. he is a little laid back, almost bored at times, but hes still a gritty player thats valuable on the court.
He stepped up huge considering he was a freshman starting for the first time against the eventual national champions who had four nba-bound players. I think Kyle Lowry's potential is skewed by many critics. Lowry is a floor general and a decisive playmaker. His true measurement will be how he leads his team in the playoffs as opposed to his fantasy draft ranking. Everyone talks about controlling the tempo and limiting mistakes in the playoffs and Kyle Lowry can do exactly that. Whether he will remains to be seen.
I think you're confusing laid back and boredom for composure and poise. If you watch the games, you will see that in virtually every dead ball Lowry converses with his teammates about what to do for the next play, especially with Yao since he is the offensive focal point. Lowry even guides his teammates without the ball during play, often pointing to Yao so they will pass it to him. Lowry isn't flamboyant like Gilbert Arenas but he always has his head in the game. The fact that he was the one who gave Artest a good talking to after the Kobe Bryant scuffle shows how much he wants to be a leader on and off the court.
Lowry isn't the most emotional guy on the court but I wouldn't say he is disinterested. He is fundamentally sound and poised on the court, displaying a lot of seriousness by playing hard. You can see his determination when he often hustles for loose balls, starts a fast break, put pressure on defenses, and hustles on defense.
Lowry reminds me so much of that bob sura mentality, and i love sura, and know beginning to fall inmanlove with Lowry<3
Conley CAN shoot. The problem with Conely has always been his aggressiveness and driving to the basket. He relies far too much on his jump shot, but that is at least partly due to the fact that teams go under the pick against him and don't respect his shot. Lowry can't shoot a lick and he drives to the basket like even the most glimmer of a hole and he thinks he can get there. He has a very low iq but he thinks he is the man and this causes him a lot of charging fouls. If the grizzlies could have mixed into Conely even midset a little of lowry's temperament, Conley would be one of the top young pg. Lowry will never be great. Lowry is a poor man's sam cassell.
Well he could potentially improve by leaps and bounds if he becomes the starter and gets bigger minutes. Also his jumpshot isn't bad. He's not a good 3 point shooter, but he's money on those mid-rangers. I don't think our team concept will ever be conducive to having a real high assist guy like Paul, Williams, or Nash. Those teams just run the pick n' roll all day with thsoe players, that's not what we do. But he's solid in every aspect of his game, and if given the reigns I think he may become a special player. He's got the smarts, hustle, D, and willingness to drive. I likes.
Admittedly, I have seen Lowry out of control once in a while. But not too often. And some of that out of control has to do with not having the right players around him, that were uptempo enough to get up and down with him. We are lacking foot speed on this team. Think about this team before Wafer and Lowry. The only speedster we had with any kind of aggression was Brooks. Rafer was mediocre fast but his speed was useless as he couldn't finish and nobody could run with him. Lowry was an upgrade. He has to be the best PG in the league at getting to the FT line. Besides all the things mentioned, I really the boy's competitive streak and leadership. HE IS A LEADER. And we will probably see this come to the forefront next year. If you watched him at Nova playing with Foye you recognize this. That boy is total fire and piss and vinegar when he is handed a team and he gets his mates jacked up and playing great. I loved him at Nova and I've loved him every since he's been in the NBA. If we get one more guy like a Villanueve or Marion or Hamilton that can fly up and down the court with him and Wafer, we are going to turn into layup drill with those guys playing together.
