The Toronto Raptors haven’t received a good performance from star guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan so far during the postseason, and they know it.
Despite being the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors find themselves tied at two games apiece with the Indiana Pacers, in large part due to the struggles of Lowry and DeRozan. According to ESPN’s Mike Mazzeo, DeRozan said he’s fully aware of the subpar showing from both guards so far.
“We just stink right now when it comes to me and Kyle,” DeRozan said. “We haven't let it frustrate us. We haven't complained. We are not whining. It's all part of the game. You go through your ups and downs, but it's all about how you figure it out and the process it takes to get out of that. If we do what we are supposed to do, all of this be erased.”
After putting up 23.5 points per game in the regular season, DeRozan is averaging just 13.3 in the playoffs, shooting just 29.6 percent from the floor. Lowry, who averaged 21.2 points on the season, has been just barely better, with 15.5 points per game and a 32.2 field-goal percentage.
While George Hill and Paul George certainly deserve credit for shutting down the Raptors' top scorers, this has been a recurring theme for the duo in the postseason. Both Lowry and DeRozan now rank among the worst postseason shooters from the field in the last 30 years, as Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver pointed out:
After brutal Game 4, Raptors' Kyle Lowry & DeMar DeRozan both among worst postseason Brick-Layers of modern era… pic.twitter.com/GXk8JRBKGs
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) April 23, 2016
DeRozan and Lowry combined for just 20 points on 8-of-27 attempts from the floor in Toronto's Game 4 loss.
One thing is for sure: if the Raptors want to make noise in the playoffs and take the Eastern Conference crown from the Cleveland Cavaliers, they're going to need a better showing from their go-to players. If they don't get that, Toronto may not even make it out of the first round.
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