Kyle Lowry took part in the All-Star Saturday Three-Point Contest. Then he participated in the All-Star Game on Sunday. He admitted to getting in a round of golf on that Monday.
Lowry has not played in a Raptors game since then, needing wrist surgery to remove “loose bodies” from the wrist that had been bothering him and getting worse. He hopes to be back for the playoffs. That sent the Raptors from thinking — with the additions of Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker — they might be able to climb back up to the two seed, to wondering if they can hold off Atlanta and keep home court in the first round.
It’s not hard to draw a line for fans on Twitter, or for talk radio hosts, Lowry shouldn’t have played All-Star weekend. Even though the “loose bodies” in his wrist are a repetitive use injury — meaning it didn’t happen with one moment or blow, rather it built up over a long time, meaning years — people tend to make simplistic assumptions that confirm what they want to hear. And frustrated Raptors fans are letting Lowry hear it on social media.
Well, he’d hear it if he was listening. Here is what he said pregame Monday, via Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun.Lowry also confirmed the injury was years in the making.
“From what I’ve been told, it’s a 10-year process,” Lowry said.
“It’s a long process of wear and tear, and bumping and grinding, and hitting guys. It’s a little bit of wear and tear. It was just at the point where it got a little bit worse to the point where I couldn’t play. If it’s that serious for me, I knew it was something that needed to be checked on.”
I don’t think you can knock a guy for wanting to be on the court, and wanting to rep his team on a big stage.
The Raptors are in the best stretch of basketball in franchise history, including winning 56 games last season and making the conference finals for the first time ever. This year they are on pace for 48 wins and, assuming they stay the four seed, would likely face the Cavaliers in the second round.
That’s not the step forward some were hoping for. That said, management clearly knows its window is right now and made a smart, aggressive move by trading for Ibaka (with the intention of re-signing him this summer). That’s a move designed to help them match up with Cleveland. Of course, the real problem is Cleveland still has one LeBron James, and there is no counter to that. But the Raptors have tried to position themselves if the Cavaliers are not fully themselves come the playoffs.
Lowry will be there for that — and everyone complaining knows they need him to have a chance in that series. Those same fans will be back on board soon enough.