Newest Raptors help weather the storm with Kyle Lowry sidelined

When the Raptors made a pair of midseason trades to acquire Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker, Toronto looked poised for a deep post-season run. But with the demoralizing news of All-Star guard Kyle Lowry needing surgery on his right wrist, Toronto finds itself in a battle just to maintain home-court advantage in the playoffs.

Trying to replace the 30-year-old Lowry in the midst of a career year will be nearly impossible. The former Villanova Wildcat is enjoying an offensive surge in 2016-17, averaging 22.8 points per game while shooting the ball an efficient 46 percent from the field and over 40 percent from the 3-point line.

Though word of Lowry’s prolonged absence came just before Monday’s game against the New York Knicks, the last three games — all with the newly-minted Raptors in uniform — have given a brief glimpse of what life without Lowry might be like. Given Toronto’s 3-0 record in those contests, the season appears to be far from over.

A big reason behind the early success of the new look Raptors has been the elevated play of fellow All-Star DeMar DeRozan. Having a career year in his own right — he’s currently fifth in league scoring with 27.9 points per game — DeRozan has been tasked with leading Toronto’s offensive charge while Lowry watches from the sidelines. He appears to be more than capable of handling the added workload, as the former USC Trojan has scored 43, 33 and 37 points respectively in Lowry’s absence.

Providing some much needed relief on the offensive end has been the production of Ibaka. The Congolese native has been the Raptors’ second best scorer since arriving in Toronto, averaging 16 points per game and hitting crucial shots with the game on the line. With the rest of the roster struggling to score, the Raptors will rely heavily on Ibaka’s offense going forward, as DeRozan will be hard pressed to maintain the 37 points per game he’s averaged in the last three games.

The most significant impact from the addition of Ibaka and Tucker, however, can be felt on the defensive end.

Since the two were added to the roster, the Raptors have been holding their opponents to 98 points per game, a far cry from the 104.7 points per game the Raps were surrendering during that lowly 4-11 stretch before the All-Star break. Though his stats may not leap off the page, the presence of Tucker has bolstered the Raptors defense, especially in regards to on-ball defending. The 31-year-old journeyman has recently been tasked with guarding the likes of Isaiah Thomas, Damian Lillard and Carmelo Anthony in late-game situations and he’s flashed the type of physicality that Toronto had been lacking on the defensive end.

With help from the newest Raptors, Toronto is currently 3-0 with Lowry out of the lineup, and with the All-Star guard sidelined for the foreseeable future, Toronto will look to the strengths of its newest additions to weather the storm.