Feb 27, 2017
Five thoughts on Lowry's injury and more
Jack Armstrong returns with five thoughts on Kyle Lowry's injury, the Raptors two games against the Wizards and post trade deadline pickups.
FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS:
1. KYLE LOWRY (Raptors): Tough news with him undergoing surgery. It’s time to find a way to hold on for dear life while he recovers. He's such a huge part of the fabric of the team and hard to replace. However, it gives a wonderful opportunity for Cory Joseph, Delon Wright and Fred Van Vleet. Organizational Depth. This is why you spend a ton of time scouting and developing players. It won't give you the same scoring, but they're capable of giving you defence and some sound playmaking.
2. BRANDON JENNINGS: I found it interesting that the Knicks released him. I know he's a bit small and his defence is below average, but he's still a good creator and capable scorer. It won't surprise me if a contender picks him up.
3. ERSAN ILYASOVA (Hawks): Nice pickup for Atlanta. He'll thrive in this ball movement oriented system. He's a good shooter, rebounder and competitor. The 29-year-old will help boost the talent level for the Hawks second unit. He fits in well to their style of play.
4. RAPTORS-WIZARDS: If you're a fan of either team, you've got your calendar circled for Wednesday and Friday night. It’s the battle for third place in the East. If the Raptors win one of two games this week, they'll own the all-important tie breaker in the season series. They haven't played each other since early November and what a difference a few months makes. They should be hotly contested games with outstanding guard play.
5. DERON WILLIAMS (Cavs): The rich get richer. I totally agree with Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons in that there should be a waiver process like the MLB after players are bought out, to ensure competitive balance and allow a fair way for struggling teams to add pieces. It’s the same thing with Andrew Bogut. Only the highly competitive teams are in the mix for him. The system is baffling on this topic. Trying to avoid 'Super Teams' is yet another example of a rule that works against weaker teams. This needs to be looked at.