Lowry is the Maggette version of PG; solidly build and not afraid to take contact. Automatic foul drawing shoulder ram.
No other comment particularly comes to mind but overall the Spurs announcers were extremely complimentary. Obviously, they loved Lowry. They commented on his size and weight, calling him a "handful." They also talked a lot about Brooks' speed and scoring ability, which has been repeated by every non-Houston broadcaster I've heard, as well as the hustle and intensity of the team. "if you're playing the Rockets you better be ready to bring it" etc. They went wild over an underhanded flip shot Scola made in traffic ("Under the arms of Duncan! How did he do that?"), as well as Brooks blocking that shot on the 3-on-1 fast break. Speaking of Scola, the Spurs broadcast team said the reason why Scola was traded was because his buyout from the Euro league was $15 million. "Scola is good but not worth $15 million." But from what I know, it was 3 or 4 million and the Rockets were only allowed to pay $500k of that. Anyway. Also, there's no commentator that doesn't know that the 3-point shot from the corner is Battier's favorite shot.
Lowry is a clone of Russell Westbrook. They can't shoot and don't make the prettiest of passes, but they're extremely physical and go after it. Lowry's always played like this. I'm surprised more teams didn't want him before.
Westbrook is much taller and more athletic. He's a freak. Lowry is actually a better outside shooter than Westbrook. Lowry makes a lot of very pretty passes. Westbrook gets a bunch of assists but I see him as much less of a true PG than Lowry. So, I wouldn't say they're clones at all but they do share certain similarities. They both look for contact and are both good rebounders and defensive players.
Suffered through the broadcast just to find that out! They commented several times on how the Rockets kept coming at you, that they never let up, that you couldn't relax, that they was tough, "a load." And, of course, they were right. More than anything else, this game illustrated how the multiple back-to-backs, the brutal schedule, the shear effort the guys put out was taking its toll. A couple of practices, a few games off, and you get a game like this. Just really fun to watch. The majority of the nice comments came when the broadcast dudes (duddette, in Sean Elliot's case) thought they were going to win the game. When it got tight and the Rocks looked like they could pull off the victory, they started seeing a bit different game. "Calls" they didn't get and so on.
I agree with all of that. Lowry is definitely a natural PG and has run a team better since his Villanova days; Westbrook is a big athletic freak. But in terms of playing style, strengths, and weaknesses no one is closer to Lowry than Westbrook.
Bullard commented in a game awhile back about how Lowry was like a bowling ball, and I think that is the PERFECT COMPARISON!
Rafer ran an offense which required him to make open shots, yet he couldnt make open shots. Any shots for that matter. Lowry runs the offense without becoming a handicap to the system. He realizes he is not a terrific outside shooter, so he attacks the basket most of the time. His outside shot is not that bad either. Lowry rebounds like a small Forward. He just has a knack and natural instinct of tracking down loose balls and rebounds, especially on the offensive end. Lowry plays tough defense and picks up charges. He stayed in front of Manu and gave him a tough time. He has a strong base which makes him an excellent choice against bigger guards who play in the post. Lowry changes tempo of the game in favor of the Rockets. Lowry comes without any excess baggage. Besides his horrifc shooting, I was getting sick and tired of Rafer's on and off-court antics. The only ones who would pick Rafer over Lowry are the Gundy brothers.
