Who's the new guy? Raptors New Face: Kyle Lowry

Ok Canada, he's not Steve Nash.

But hey, he's not a bad alternative.  Considering Kyle Lowry is 12 years younger than Steve Nash, and at only 26 years of age, he's a veteran with six seasons of experience under his belt.  He's going to be a perfect fit for this young Raptors squad.

When the Raps announced that they had landed Kyle Lowry, I was excited.  The dude was on my fantasy team last season and he was a beast for that first half season while he was healthy.  The  guy is a triple double threat and the former Houston Rocket had a nice season last year averaging 14.3 ppg, 6.6 apg and 4.5 rpg.  It helps that the Raps got Lowry at a good price too, trading a protected first round pick and Gary Forbes to land the former Villanova point guard.

 This season, Lowry will more than likely slide into the starting point guard role, with Jose Calderon coming off the bench.  Who knows how this point guard situation will pan out: Will Jose be unhappy leading to another point guard controversy? Will a trade happen? All remains to be seen.

I'm expecting to see Lowry have another big season as he'll be taking on a larger role with the Raps as the new floor general.  With the additions of Jonas Valančiūnas, Landry Fields and returning faces, Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan, Lowry will have plenty of opportunties to help these guys develop.  The Philadelphia native is tough on the defensive end as well (you'll see for yourself in the clip below) and should fit in well with Coach Casey's 'Pound the Rock' system.


Lowry on becoming a first tier point guard (via the National Post)

“People are expecting me to. I’m trying to break into that first tier. It’s going to be tough. I’m trying to work myself to the point that I’m in that first tier. That’s where I want to be. That’s my goal.”

Finally, to help Lowry get acquainted with the T-dot, is Director of Player Development, Alvin Williams. Lowry has an interesting connection to this Raptors fan favourite, as they were both Villanova alums and Williams was one of Kyle's idols.  So if Lowry is as hard working as Alvin Williams, the Raps should be OK.

And hey on top of everything else, the dude makes juice!

(Photo via Yahoo!)

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