Hey guys, I just wrote this column on Kyle Lowry deserving to be an all-star for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and I wanted to get your thoughts on it. Here is a quick sample (stats recent as of yesterday): Here is the link.
Welcome to the board, Mark. Nicely done on the article -- uses good numbers and facts to build a case for Lowry. One statement I'm not sure on: "Lowry is the best defensive point guard in basketball and the only players that are even in the conversation with him are Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday." One of the more respected members of our board, durvasa, posts a lot using advanced statistics and he recently put together a great piece on the <a href="http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=214244">Defensive Stats for Kyle Lowry</a>. I don't know if I'd call Lowry the "best" ... he's good, but I have to think other guys are up there too. One minor quibble -- I believe All Star voting ends one week from today (article says in "just under two weeks").
Must somewhat suck when you get a column published like that on the day Lowry gets a triple double, but you've already gone to print. Welcome to cfnet ps: I think that is the first time I've seen a sports journalist use "stately" to describe impressive stats.
oh, and for those who don't like to click links...MarkTravis wrote several more paragraphs on Lowry here: edit: click the Caller-Times link to read it all. Good read.
Thanks for your thoughts. Based on the more advanced Synergy data I looked at, Lowry was one of the few (along with Rondo and Holiday) to rank as "Good" or better in many different categories like isolations, handoffs, pick and rolls, etc. With that info and the eye test, I thought I was justified in making that statement. As far as all-star voting ending, I submitted the article before today and I forgot to think ahead to the publish date. Thanks!
You shouldn't do that, IMO. People should click on the link if they're interesting. You're robbing the website (and by extension, the writer) of hits and advertising revenue.
Thanks Mark. Got to give you a lot of credit for doing that much research for the article... well done. I may be wrong and Lowry may be putting up numbers that make him the best. I just think it varies based on situations (as durvasa posted) and it's closer than that. Plus it's harder to imagine wanting Lowry, at 6-foot even, defensively over a player like Russell Westbrook, for example. Still, he's having a hell of a year.
Rockets' Kyle Lowry should be an NBA all-star http://www.caller.com/news/2012/jan/24/rockets-kyle-lowry-should-be-nba-all-star/ Good article...lock if posted already I thought this was a key part of the article Lowry's usage rate is at a career high 23.1%, which means he is being relied upon to create nearly a quarter of Houston's offense either with his by shooting or passing. Having an increased usage rate can be a bad thing if you don't compliment it with additional passing but Lowry has that covered, too. The Villanova product is shattering his career high in assist rate, as 37.8% of Houston's field goals are assisted on by Lowry when he is on the floor, good for 10th best in the league. Lowry's standard assist per game average of 8.6 is stately as well, as it's the fifth best mark in the league. The beautiful part about Lowry's improvements as a passer is how well he has infused it with his instinctive ability to score. Lowry is an attacker at heart but now that he's facilitating more, his all-around play rivals that of some of the elite point guards in the league. Lowry has a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 22.37, which is the fourth best mark in the NBA for point guards. Only two Western Conference point guards have higher PERs (Chris Paul and Steve Nash), putting Lowry above players like Russell Westbrook, Tony Parker and Mike Conley. Last season Lowry had a PER of 16.51, which places him as a "third banana" on the PER scale. His PER of 22.37 places percentage points below "bona fide all-star" on the scale. Lowry's increased efficiency is due in large part because of his transformation into a "purer" point guard but his improved jump shot has helped as well. Lowry is shooting 41% from 16-23 feet, which is above the league average, and he is also shooting a career high 41% from behind the arc on a career high 4.9 attempts per game. Lowry's improved jumper has come to light in his pick and roll play. Lowry is shooting 49% off of 85 pick and rolls this season and his point per possession production in pick and rolls rates out as "excellent" according to Synergy Sports Technology.
He needs to pick it up, he is shooting around 33% these last 6 games, I think he is tired....McHale is overusing him big time. DD
I agree he's logging big minutes...but despite this fluke 2-16 game...he came pretty close to two Triple Doubles in a row. 8-8-10 today. "Tired"...maybe affecting his shot...but he is still showing high energy to do many other things on the court.
Been watching these last few games and Lowry does not have any gas left. He needs a few games off. After that is Martin. We lost this game because we kept lowry in the 4th quarter. I was screaming at my TV for McHale to take Lowry out. He couldnt shoot nor guard Jackson. Dissapointed in the coach today!
McHale might have, except Lee was 2-10 as well. When you have a big deficit, sorry, someone has to stay on the court. And Lowry did have stops on Jackson, late. Lee and Dragic logged 43 minutes combined. Who do you propose to play if you sit Lowry down. TWill after his day-long whining on Twitter...lol. btw: Lowry did have 8 rbs and 10 assists. You can't just scream at your TV and come on the BBS to b**** about the coach without offering an alternative lineup. And as your first ever post, no less. But you're right...we need rest, so does the entire NBA.
I was thinking Buddinger to see if he would wake up this season. Tall and fast enough to chase Jackson around.
