Reason Why It Won’t Happen #3: Health
The Raptors have stayed near the top of the Eastern Conference standings despite not having Lowry for the past 21 games (at the time of this writing). Upon his return in Detroit, Lowry was sensational (see above).
Interestingly Lowry wasn’t on a minutes restriction, but showed no ill effects from his wrist injury. If you listen clearly, you can probably hear the continual sigh of relief from Raptors fans as their floor general isn’t struggling back from injury.
Regardless, Lowry’s return comes at a pivotal time. These Raptors are bordering Hawks territory – being a tier ahead of other Eastern Conference teams, but definitely not good enough to beat LeBron and the Cavs. GM Masai Ujiri tried to change that narrative by adding (longtime coveted target by the Raptors) Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker at the trade deadline. Only time will tell if those moves pay off.
Lowry may struggle in the postseason (like last year), and/or might reinjure his wrist and be forced to re-sign with the Raptors for less money. While maybe not the best option, you can do way worse than Toronto.