Against backups. He wouldn't be nearly as good if he played against starters... What? No? Hmm... Kyle Lowry is only effective in limited minutes, he wouldn't be nearly as good if he had to sustain it the whole game... Huh? Wrong? Errrr.... Our PG needs to be able to shoot on a team built around Yao... Yao is done? AND he can shoot now too??? **** Wait wait! I got it! In those two games against Chicago and Milwaukee he shot bad, therefore... he is ONLY effective against bad defensive teams!! YES! EUREKA! There has been so much talk about player A vs player B, who should start and who should come off the bench, what he can do and what he can't do. Lost in one of the more polarizing topics in recent memory is the actual development of Kyle Lowry himself. No comparisons with our own players, no complaining about starter vs bench. Get that AB vs Lowry stuff outta here. What I want to ask is what is Kyle Lowry's ceiling? According to his detractors his ceiling is pretty low, given all the things he can't do. (I'm sure there were no agendas there) Well, after AB going down and with an opportunity this year, if nothing else he has shown us that there are no such thing as givens. That apparently he can do a lot of the things people thought he couldn't do. That clearly he is a player with room to grow. And that maybe his ceiling is being underestimated. At 24 years old, averaging about 11 points a game, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists, he was known as a PG who couldn't shoot. Jason Kidd that is. At 24 years old, Steve Nash averaged about 8 points and 5 assists in 31 minutes a game. Not until later in his career did he master a control of the game that is now second to none. I am not at all comparing Kyle Lowry on a month long hot streak to two sure-fire Hall of Famers. But I do see some similar qualities in a PG that was known for a knack for rebounding, and a PG that would never pick up his dribble while running in circles around the opponent's team. It is said that in the NBA, the 1 and 5 spot take the longest time to develop. IMO, this is because the 5 needs the longest time to fill out his body, with it being the most physical position. While the 1 needs the longest time to fill out his mind, with it being the most cerebral position. This is why I think this adage only applies to "true" PGs, while scorers in the mold a Terry or Ben Gordon were more NBA ready but peaked early. While I do not think Lowry can ever be as good as a top tier PG -Nash, CP3, Deron Williams all HOF bound- I think he can get into that class right below. There are not many comparisons in today's NBA, with Rondo being the most obvious. I am thinking in the mold of a more old school PG who can still be very effective. Anyways, who am I to say? Maybe we should hear from the guy that drafted him in the first place, the guy that thought he would be their PG of the future, I hear he knows a thing or two about basketball: <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6E-SGSBtCEE?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6E-SGSBtCEE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
HE STILL CAN'T SHOOT! he goes three games making ridiculous end of the buzzer prayer threes and people think he is a sharp shooter??? he may be up to 39% but that is only because he doesn't shoot them that often so when he has hot games they bump up. he still should never take a three unless the clock is running down, his strength is to drive strong.
For past opinions on this topic refer here: http://bbs.clutchfans.com/showthread.php?t=167912&page=1&pp=20 Yeah, Rondo is a good comparison, except Rondo is better at everything except shooting. I'd put Lowry's current ability and ceiling a class below Rondo.
You're not backing up your claim with any fact, besides that he is making shots under pressure. Rondo isn't supposed to be able to shoot either, yet he is around 14th in field goal percentage IIRC. He may not be your first option to shoot, but as long as he is taking *smart* shots with confidence, he's much more effective than Brooks dribbling down the clock and jacking up a three.
He is a great player, we are lucky to have him. My Christmas wish is he only gets better and we as fans aren't expecting to much from him by putting him on a pedestal.
I'll have to see him continue to shoot well in order for me not to write this recent shooting off as just a hot streak.
Billups is another example of a guy that didn't put it together until he was 26-27. I do think, given Lowry's physicality and style of play, he has the ability to turn his efficiency up a notch. Shooting is one thing, but also is just gaining confidence and taking control of the game more aggressively when he is on the court. His usage remains ridiculously low for a starting PG, 17.0 (anything below 20 is a "low usage" for a starter). He has to know that no one else out there (except maybe Brad Miller!) can make the passes he can, and his assist-to-turnover ratio is still good enough where he can try to force the issue more and run the offense through his own playmaking abilities. If he starts to do just that, I think we're going to see a PG who can make a similar jump in PER the way Billups did, I'm not sure if he'll get to 20, but 18 consistently is definitely possible from him.
The players on championship teams understand to play within their capabilities, and even without the hot shooting from Lowry, that is what he has been doing when running the offense.
I have followed lowery since high school the kid has a knack for the game. I remember watching one game were he had a triple double with ten steals 12assist and 25 points. I always thought he would be something special. Now he just needs to shut up all the haters and get out there during the summer and work on his shot and conditioning. If I had to compare to some one it would be gilbert arenas because when he started his career he sucked at shooting but got hard work in and got way better
Maurice Cheeks career. Highly effective playing on perennial contending teams. Lowry's downside???? Whether he will stay motivated to get his fat butt in shape and stay in shape. He is a bowling bowl mound. Little Pork Butt. Hopefully he understands his body and gets his butt on a diet on the offseason. The greatest fear I have of Lowry working his way down to extreme mediocrity is being satisfied with his career and letting himself go. An extra 5 lbs every offseason will turn him into World B. Free WITHOUT the jump shot. He needs to learn how to get in shape and stay in shape.
He is setting and then shooting 3's when passed to him. As opposed to dribble dribble and then shooting an open shot. That is making him better shooter. If he keeps doing that I see no reason his 3 point shooting doesn't stay at a decent percentage. If he can shoot at a decent percentage then I always want him to shoot the 3 when he is open. That's the name of the game. Find the open man.
The idea that your using an old Grizzlies video to talk about how Kyle was their pg of the future has several things wrong with it. 1. The grizzlies have/had the worst management in the league(signing A.I., trading Gasol in his prime) 2. they drafted a better pg afterwards and put lowry on the bench without a second thought so obviously they didnt feel he was their pg of the future 3. If everyone on this board is content with a guy that will average 13 and 8 instead of a guy that averaged 20 and 6 because "he plays harder" then idk what to say... If Brooks is traded and kyle stays we'd better get a fricken 20ppg player back at another position.... because thats what brooks is worth...
Worst post of the day. Congratulations. He is 39% for the season. A few games or a few shots isn't going to change his percentage much at all but I think you already know that.
I don't think you have to worry about his motivation. One of the qualities that set Lowry apart from many NBA players is that he is highly competitive.
