Toronto Raptors Need To Focus On Kyle Lowry In 2015-16 Stretch Run

The Toronto Raptors are currently the second best team in the Eastern Conference by almost any metric, and they don’t even have DeMarre Carroll back in the rotation yet. They haven’t forgotten getting swept last postseason by the Washington Wizards.

We could end up seeing a rematch of that series if the Wizards can chase down the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons in the standings, but the Raptors will most likely end up playing the Indiana Pacers.

Kyle Lowry has stepped up his game this year, and he has been the main difference for the Raptors with his aggressive driving and efficient shooting. Milwaukee Bucks head coach Jason Kidd has noticed how the Raptors improved over the last two seasons since his Brooklyn Nets eliminated Toronto from the playoffs.

“I think as you get older you get wiser,” Kidd said to SportsNet.CA. “They’ve been together. You can’t discount some of the playoff battles they’ve gone through, two years ago with Brooklyn, being able to be in difficult situations – and how do you handle them and how do you learn from them. And you can see, being one of the best teams – not just in the East, but in the NBA – they have some very talented pieces and they’re well coached. So you can see their growth. Now the next step is making that next step in the playoffs.”

The Raptors must still prove themselves in the postseason and against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they are clearly on the right path and are being coached extremely well by Dwane Casey. It would be fantastic to see the Raptors face off against LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Finals, but both teams will have to hold up their end of the bargain in the first two rounds.

Catching the Cavaliers in the standings is probably not in the cards, but that would certainly give Toronto a mental (and practical) edge in the playoffs. It would be nice to have that extra home game, but the Raptors are still capable of reaching basketball’s brightest stage even without it. Their focus should be on keeping Lowry motivated during the stretch run, and this shouldn’t be a problem for the point guard. He is having a season to remember. We’ll just have to see if he can stay the course during the playoffs, because Toronto deserves a winner after all of the years their fans have had to endure lackluster play.