Toronto Raptors

As Kawhi Leonard leads the Toronto Raptors through the postseason, questions about his long-term future with the organization remain a significant topic of conversation.

During Wednesday's episode of The Jump on ESPN, Brian Windhorst explained the difficult position Toronto is in as it prepares to negotiate with Leonard this summer.

"A lot of people in the NBA think Kawhi is out of [Toronto]," he said. "It's not because of anything the Raptors did. Kawhi kind of wants to be on the West Coast. The difficulty is that he doesn't really articulate his feelings to people."

One of the worst-kept secrets leading into NBA free agency is Leonard could be swayed by a west-coast team. 

Per B/R's Howard Beck, rival executives around the league believe Leonard "likes" the Los Angeles Clippers. 

After the dust settled on Leonard's trade to Toronto last summer, ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Clippers were "emerging as a front-runner" to sign the three-time All-Star with their two max slots available. 

The Clippers were one of the NBA's most pleasant surprises in 2018-19. They are in the playoffs after going 48-34 in the regular season. Their 31-point comeback win over the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of the Western Conference quarterfinals was the largest postseason deficit overcome in NBA history. 

All of this speculation will be contingent on Leonard opting out of his $21.3 million salary for next season, per Spotrac.

In the meantime, Leonard will lead the Raptors into Game 3 of their playoff series against the Orlando Magic Friday. He was dominant in a 111-82 Game 2 victory with 37 points. 

Saturday's Game 1 loss to the Orlando Magic wasn't the end of the world for Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors. But for a player and franchise haunted by the specter of playoff disappointment, it was the last thing they needed.

D.J. Augustin drilled a game-winning three from the top of the arc to give the upstart Magic a 104-101 win over the host Raptors, and the fact that most of the attention after the buzzer fell squarely on Lowry and his scoreless 34 minutes (0-of-7 from the field, 0-of-6 from deep, 0-of-2 from the foul line) says a lot about the widespread angst attached to this Toronto team.

D.J. AUGUSTIN WINS IT FOR ORLANDO. 🔥#PureMagic | #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/i5XkJo6kbq

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 13, 2019

Toronto won 58 games and finished the season with four different starters than it fielded a year ago, which made the narrative of unavoidable playoff disappointment (particularly in Game 1s, in which the Raps are now 2-14) feel forced. This was a different group, led by different talent. Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol and Danny Green weren't on the roster last year, and Pascal Siakam, who scored 24 points on Saturday, was an exciting but limited second-unit weapon—not the All-Star-caliber dynamo he's become.

Dwane Casey lost his job almost entirely because of past postseason failures. But he wasn't around Saturday either; Nick Nurse was in charge.

Maybe more important than anything, LeBron James wasn't there to stomp on Canadian dreams.

Lowry, though, is the most significant constant. And that's why, when you're trying to dismiss the idea of Toronto being fated to fail when it matters, you run into a problem.

With Lowry bricking open looks from deep (and only shooting seven times, which is an issue on its own), it was hard to avoid feeling, even if only for a second, that nothing had changed. That the Raptors were stumbling down the same familiar path they'd trod before.

If you're the panicky sort, you could get yourself into some scary mental spots after Augustin banged home the decisive three.

Maybe it doesn't matter who's involved. Maybe Toronto is cursed.

Raptors losing Game 1 at home is the equivalent of “Gentlemen, start your engines” for the NBA playoffs

— J.A. Adande (@jadande) April 13, 2019

Before we go any further, let's credit the Magic.

Augustin hung 25 points on a top-five defense, even after standout stopper Danny Green hounded him following a halftime matchup adjustment. The veteran point guard was 9-of-13 from the field, handed out six assists and turned it over just once. And in addition to hitting that dagger three, he also tied the score with a tough layup on Toronto's previous possession.

Lowry and the Raptors lost the game, sure. But Augustin and the Magic also won it. It's easy to forget that second part.

But how Orlando won is part of the reason Toronto shouldn't get too concerned.

The Magic shot 35.6 percent from deep on the season, which ranked 11th in the league. Pretty good, but not anything spectacular. On Saturday, Orlando nailed 48.3 percent of its treys (14-of-29). No team should be expected to hit nearly half its triples at a sustained clip, and its doubly fair to be skeptical of the Magic's shooting on a night when Michael Carter-Williams buried two of those long-distance shots. MCW, though an important addition at backup point late in the year, hasn't hit more than two three-pointers in a game, regular season or otherwise, since 2014.

In 28 games with Houston and Orlando this year, MCW shot 26.3 percent from deep on extremely low volume. Treys from him are not something the Magic can count on.

We should expect Orlando to shoot it worse from deep going forward, and we should also anticipate the Raptors finding ways to leverage their strengths more often. The Raptors managed just 15 fast-break points, a disappointing figure for a team that ranked fifth in the NBA in transition frequency and first in points added per 100 possessions in transition.

Toronto also shot just 33.3 percent from distance, missing heaps of clean looks—especially in the first half. Given the quality of the Raptors' shots and the fact they ranked sixth in three-point accuracy during the year, it's fair to expect better numbers.

Yes, Lowry has had some rough playoff moments. He fizzled early in the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavs, shooting a combined 8-of-28 in Games 1 and 2. He scored four points and went 0-of-6 from deep in a Game 1 first-round loss to the Bucks in 2017. We can now add Saturday's effort to a list that includes plenty of duds. But understand that his off nights distract from a perfectly fine recent playoff history.

In 10 postseason games last year, Lowry averaged 17.4 points, 8.5 assists and shot 44.4 percent from three.

No wonder he's not worried.

Lowry says it’s one game. It’s a long series. Conceded he might need to be more aggressive.

— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) April 14, 2019

Of course, if you're committed to freaking out over Toronto dropping another Game 1, you can still do that.

For example, you could talk yourself into the idea that the final defensive sequence that yielded Augustin's game-winner, in which two new Raptors botched their pick-and-roll coverage, was a metaphor for a team that seemed strangely disjointed all year.

Gasol says he and Kawhi got their wires crossed defending Augustine's winner: "It was a mistake made on that play. We miscommunicated and he made a good shot."

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) April 13, 2019

Toronto's disconnection manifested itself in a pair of different offensive looks during the regular season—one when Leonard played, one when he didn't—and Lowry's passivity, which often bordered on disengagement. Gasol's arrival seemed to pull everyone together (and spike the Raptors' assist percentage), but if there's reason for worry, don't fixate on a curse.

Focus instead on the foot Leonard has out the door, Lowry's possibly lingering dissatisfaction with the DeMar DeRozan trade and a handful of key figures likely headed for free agency. Those are all better explanations for shaky chemistry or general underperformance than some kind of weird playoff hex.

I know, I know. It's tough to ignore the painful narrative that Lowry and the Raptors come up short in the postseason—especially when an upstart like Orlando is the one reopening wounds.

But the Magic played uncharacteristically well and only managed to win at the buzzer. If Lowry goes 2-of-6 from deep instead of laying an egg, the Raptors win and the talk is about how Toronto could bring its C-minus game and still knock off Orlando. And perhaps more importantly, we would have discussed Leonard's two late buckets, a step-back three and a clutch jumper from the left baseline. Those provided precisely the takeover scoring previous Raptors playoff teams lacked.

Orlando's 21-9 record after Feb. 1 feels a little more real after Game 1, but take a deep breath, Raptors. Understand that you came out on the wrong side of a make-or-miss sport and that major changes aren't required ahead of Game 2.

Hard as it is to believe in the moment, Lowry and Toronto will be fine.

    

Stats courtesy of Basketball Reference, Cleaning the Glass or NBA.com unless otherwise specified. Accurate through games played Saturday, April 13.

Toronto Raptors guard OG Anunoby could potentially be out until the Eastern Conference finals after undergoing an emergency appendectomy Thursday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The 21-year-old underwent the procedure after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis earlier this week.

Raptors coach Nick Nurse noted, via the Toronto Sun's Ryan Wolstat, on Saturday that Anunoby is "disappointed and saddened." 

Nurse also expressed his disappointment for his second-year player, per ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz:

"My first thought is what a bad break for him, just bizarre timing, and it doesn't even happen on the basketball court. He's had a difficult year, but in the past 10-12 days, I feel like he was in a really good space.

"He was starting to move around a little better, feel a little better about himself. I think he was really looking forward to putting his chopped-up regular season behind him and getting a fresh start with the playoffs. But now he won't get that chance."

It's just the latest setback for the 2017 first-round pick, as he has also dealt with a wrist injury and a concussion this season. He made 67 appearances in 2018-19.

Anunoby has been a key member of Toronto's rotation this season, logging 20.2 minutes per game. He averaged 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds during the regular season.

While the Raptors should be able to stay afloat as long as the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry are healthy, a versatile player like Anunoby can be tough to replace. 

So Raptors down a pair of disruptive defenders in OG Anunoby and Patrick McCaw to start playoffs.

— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) April 12, 2019

"He's just kind of a Swiss [Army] knife," Toronto center Marc Gasol said, per Arnovitz. "He can give you a lot of stuff defensively, offensively. He's a really unique player."

The second-seeded Raptors will open their postseason against the seventh-seeded Orlando Magic on Saturday. If they can defeat the Magic, they will await the Philadelphia 76ers-Brooklyn Nets winner in the second round.

Based on Wojnarowski's report, it does not appear Anunoby would be available for either series. Should the Toronto advance to the conference final, though, Anunoby reportedly could return to the court this season.

The Toronto Raptors will start the postseason without one of their key bench players after OG Anunoby underwent an emergency appendectomy. 

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Anunoby is expected to miss at least two weeks following the procedure after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis. 

Anunoby recently returned to the Raptors' lineup for the final three games of the regular season after missing one week with a concussion suffered on March 26 against the Chicago Bulls.

Even though Anunoby's absence hurts Toronto's depth, head coach Nick Nurse has a wealth of talent to choose from at the start of the postseason. Seven different players averaged at least 10 points per game in 2018-19. 

If Anunoby is able to return exactly two weeks from the date of the procedure, he would be back in time for a potential Game 7 against the Orlando Magic on April 27. 

A first-round pick by the Raptors in 2017, Anunoby started 62 games as a rookie. The 21-year-old moved to the bench this season following the acquisition of Kawhi Leonard. He averaged 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 67 games. 

The Raptors will host the Magic in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. 

 

Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard told teammate Serge Ibaka that he doesn't know whether he will return to the team after this season. When Ibaka asked Leonard if he'll come back next year, Leonard said, "I don't know yet":

Serge Ibaka asked Kawhi Leonard if he was going to stay with the Toronto Raptors. Here's how that played out:

Full link - https://t.co/ofQm0omqm3 pic.twitter.com/n9yzwIDZ6b

— Chris Walder (@WalderSports) April 11, 2019

Leonard can opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer.

The interaction occurred on Ibaka's YouTube show "How Hungry Are You?" The Raptors big man interviews teammates and serves them an eclectic range of foods on the series.

The entire Leonard episode can be found here:

The Raptors went 58-24, good enough for the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed. Leonard averaged a career-high 26.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in 60 games. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year also amassed 1.8 steals per contest.

The three-time All-Star played seven seasons with the San Antonio Spurs before an offseason trade sent him to Toronto. Leonard and the Spurs did not end on good terms, as Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com outlined.

There haven't been reported issues in Toronto, where the team is enjoying tremendous success. Those factors could conceivably play a role in Leonard staying with the Raptors, although Stephen A. Smith of ESPN is convinced Leonard will head back home to Southern California and play for the Los Angeles Clippers next season:

Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reported Jan. 3 that league executives believe Leonard will choose between the Clips and Raps.

Regardless of which team lands the two-way superstar, Leonard, Ibaka and the Raptors have some work to do. Toronto begins its quest to win the NBA Finals on Saturday when it hosts the first matchup of a seven-game series against the No. 7 seed Orlando Magic at 5 p.m. ET.

Serge Ibaka is holding a plastic cup half-full of dried, roasted crickets. He's shaking it, actually, showing it off, standing behind a lacquer kitchen island, wearing a customized apron and chef's hat. He leans toward the camera, just a few feet away, as he empties the bugs into a small french press.

"Crickets. Yes, you heard that," he says. Ibaka's been eating them since his childhood in the Republic of Congo and remains an advocate for them today. Often, he will note their high protein content. "Crick-uts," he repeats, his heavy accent pouring through.

On this March evening, Ibaka is preparing a meal for his newest teammate, Jeremy Lin. "Special menu for Jeremy," he says with great deviousness. He knows that Lin detests tofu, so tonight's entree will be a stinky, fermented variation on the soy product, which as it sizzles on a nearby stove, makes Ibaka grimace.

"Oh my God," he says. The sour odor wafts past him and fills the entire room—a rented kitchen near Toronto's downtown core. A half-dozen film crew members are struggling, too, but everyone persists, determined to capture the bond that can form over one daring meal.

Since July, Ibaka has brought a number of Raptors teammates to his table for an extraordinary array of dishes: lamb brains, cow heart, pig's head, worms. His show, How Hungry Are You?, tests the appetites and courage of guests in a most unusual way. On a recent episode, Ibaka surprised Kyle Lowry, a Philadelphia native, with a bull testicle Philly cheesesteak. "You feed me so much on the court," Ibaka told his point guard. "I have to feed you something good, bro."

All season, the show has been an easy off-court chemistry builder, a nice asset for a team under duress. At 57-24, this is perhaps the modern Raptors' best roster, but it's also the most unstable. Roughly half their players are new following a busy summer and trade deadline; their coach, Nick Nurse, is a rookie; young players have forced their way into bigger roles; veterans have received diminished ones.

Meanwhile, age 29, Ibaka is hard at work, serving up a signature season. He is there if the team needs 30 points or if it just needs 30 minutes of no-frills ball. He is approaching a career high in scoring at 15 points per game and shooting over 50 percent from the floor, leaning on one of the league's most reliable mid-range games. Maybe he's not the same menace he once was around the rim—he averaged 3.7 blocks per game at age 22—but he protects it just fine and looks spry doing so.

So, as Lin goes for the stinky tofu—trying it timidly at first and then a little more comfortably, to Ibaka's delight—he wonders if there is something mysterious propelling the big man.

"It might be the cooking show," Lin suggests.

No, not quite, Ibaka says.

"It's the crickets."

---

Ibaka's passion for cooking developed in his native Republic of Congo, as a child. He first learned how to cook by watching his father, who would prepare many of the same dishes that Serge now tries on his show. But the family did not always have a kitchen stocked with ingredients, like Ibaka has today. Ibaka recalls that, as a child, he sometimes had to wait outside restaurants for customers to finish, so he could eat the leftovers. "We come from different places, different cultures, different foods," Ibaka says, referencing his NBA guests. "Some foods you may say, ‘Oh wow, this is not food.' People actually eat that somewhere. I just want people to really understand that and really appreciate it."

Ibaka's perspective is appreciated in Toronto, where the roster is especially diverse. This season, the Raptors have represented England, Spain, Cameroon and Lithuania, to name some countries, and Lin is the league's only Asian American player. Ibaka likes to inquire about his teammates' backgrounds in a sort of casual way. "I'm not really good at asking people questions in interviews," he says. "I just try to have fun, to talk."

In the fall, Ibaka hosted the Raptors' youthful bench mob: Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Norman Powell, Fred VanVleet and Delon Wright. Ibaka prepared lamb brains, to be spread over toast like butter. Powell and Siakam both recall the food as "terrible," with Siakam adding that: "He only got two ingredients, salt and pepper; that's it. Not enough seasoning."

Regardless, the episode served a larger purpose. "I can tell after that moment, I can really see the difference, just connect us, the guys really can see what kind of person I am," Ibaka says. "The way I invited them to my show at my place created a good chemistry."

His teammates felt the same. "It's not just eating nasty food," Siakam says. "It's about eating nasty food but also bonding and talking about important things, which is cool."

Powell has noticed how such extracurriculars can help unite a team. "It's just team bonding," he says. "We're always supporting each other off the floor, and I think that helps us on the court when we're going through tough things—not fragmenting, staying strong together because you're always gonna support your fellow teammates."

And this team has had no shortage of reasons to fragment. Over the past five years, during what might be considered the Lowry Era, Toronto has always made the playoffs and then exited ingloriously. In 2014, they dropped a Game 7 at home to Brooklyn in the first round. Over the ensuing four years, they were eliminated via sweep three times—twice at the hands of LeBron James.

Then came the really hard part: July's trade, which sent DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a draft pick to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. For whatever the Raptors' shortcomings had been, one could not deny their unity, led by the special connection between DeRozan and Lowry. That went out the window. And then, in February, more pieces went flying, as Jonas Valanciunas, CJ Miles and Wright—noted locker room chums—were sent to Memphis for Marc Gasol, who on many nights replaces Ibaka in the starting lineup.

Some players in Ibaka's position—accomplished, a full-time starter since 2011—might pout about such a demotion. Instead, Ibaka welcomed Gasol and his brother Pau into his kitchen for a little cow's heart. The younger Gasol has known Ibaka for years; they both played in Spain as teenagers. Yet, he was impressed by the way his old friend ran his show. "I never saw that version of him," Marc says.

Ibaka leans on his alter ego during How Hungry Are You?: the Mafuzzy Chef. The moniker is emblazoned on Ibaka's apron and hashtagged on his social media posts. What it means, Ibaka won't say. "A lot of people asking me about Mafuzzy," he says dismissively. Ibaka has a sort of coy sense of humor; he is suave and a little skeptical. "It's personal, top secret. Mafuzzy, man. I am Mafuzzy Man, original man, 100 percent pure, man." (The song "Mafuzzy Style," written by the French-Congolese singer DADJU about Ibaka, has cleared 56 million views but provides little clarity.)  

You only have to watch one episode of How Hungry Are You? to appreciate Ibaka's commitment to the character. His effort is admirable; each episode runs about 10 minutes long but requires a few hours to tape. Ibaka prepares notes for each interview and side-eyes them during his conversations. He retapes lines until his pronunciation is sound or until everyone in the room is laughing (he constantly scans the room for reactions). In each episode, there are charming scripted scenes. During the Lin shoot, for instance, Ibaka's film crew urged Ibaka to say that his salt and pepper—which were in fact American-made—were imported from Vietnam and Iceland to prove "what a worldly guy" Serge is. And so Ibaka spent several minutes trying and trying again to nail the delivery, sometimes stumbling over the very last syllable—"Ice…ah!"—before cracking up and turning his head against the fridge in frustration.

He weighs seemingly small decisions, deliberating with those in the room. Should he film a quick bit in which he opens a window, freeing the kitchen of the tofu's awful odor? Naw. That would look too much like a cheesy Food Network segment, he thinks, and decides against it. "He's confident running the show," Marc says.

He has big plans for it moving forward—new recipes and new guests. For instance, he would like to host his old Thunder teammates, James Harden, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The latter two have, at least, a slightly frosty relationship, but Ibaka's not worried about that. "End of the day," he says, "when you do something, you have to do something where you bring people together. You can't do something where you separate people."

Ibaka's good nature was on display in one of the show's first episodes, which aired over the summer. Right after DeRozan was traded to San Antonio, Ibaka flew out to meet DeRozan in California to serve him worms and talk shop. "Tell me, bro, how you feel, bro?" he asked early on, which digressed into an argument about how many points DeRozan would drop on Ibaka in their first matchup. "I'm gonna block everything," Ibaka countered. And then he returned to the trade itself, probing DeRozan again. "Tell me a little bit, bro. How did you feel about everything? Because I've been there before." DeRozan was dealt after nine seasons in Toronto; Ibaka's first seven were in OKC.

"It was tough when I heard the news, I'm not gonna lie to you, bro," Ibaka tells DeRozan in a poignant moment. "... Your vibe, the way you lead the team, what you did for the team the last two years I've been in Toronto, it was just amazing."

Still, like any good journalist or curious host, Ibaka made sure to get both sides of the story. Recently, he cooked for Leonard; the episode airs Thursday as the Season 2 finale. Ibaka used the opportunity to address the long shadow of Leonard's impending free agency, which covers the team's magnificent season, its title hopes and everything beyond. Nobody knows what Leonard, who is famously reserved, has in mind, and he hasn't shown a willingness to talk about it.

Well, the Mafuzzy Chef figured he might as well try. There's a certain power and charm that he wields, after all, standing there decked out in Mafuzzy merch. He feeds, he connects, he disarms.

"He's my friend, my teammate, so I just asked him," Ibaka says now. "A lot of writers already asked that question, but it's different the way I ask it. I just turned to him: ‘My friend, you coming back next year or what?'"

The Toronto Raptors have reportedly become "increasingly confident" in their ability to re-sign Kawhi Leonard during the 2019 offseason, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.

The forward can become a free agent in July if he declines his $21.3 million option for next season.

While the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers are considered potential suitors for Leonard's services, the Raptors believe they can convince him to stay.

Per Lewenberg, the Raptors' pitch will be about "trust, familiarity, a commitment to maintaining his health and the shared goal of chasing a championship, as well as the extra year and contract worth nearly $50 million more than anyone else can offer."

Toronto will be able to offer a max contract of $190 million over five years, while another team would only be able to offer $141 million over four years.

Money aside, things have seemingly gone well for Leonard in his first season with the team since an offseason trade from the San Antonio Spurs.

The 27-year-old is averaging 27.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, both of which would be career highs if he maintains it for the rest of the year. He has also helped the squad to a 51-23 record entering Monday, good for the second-best in the NBA behind only the Milwaukee Bucks.

While the postseason could potentially determine his enjoyment this season, the Raptors have seemingly done as much as they can to keep his spirits high so far.

Considering Paul George re-signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder after it was highly speculated he was headed to Los Angeles last offseason, Toronto shouldn't count itself out in the Leonard sweepstakes.

The Toronto Raptors have signed veteran guard Jodie Meeks to a deal that will keep him on the roster for the rest of the season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Meeks had previously signed a 10-day deal with the team, appearing in just two games in February. He totaled 15 points in 24 minutes during that span, which was his only NBA action of the 2018-19 season.

The 31-year-old began the year serving the remainder of his 25-game suspension picked up last year for violating the league's anti-drug policy. He was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Milwaukee Bucks but was soon waived and remained a free agent for the majority of the year.

However, he now gets a chance to contribute for a team hoping to make a deep run in the postseason.

Toronto has the second-best record in the NBA at 51-23, but the squad has struggled a bit lately with an 8-7 record since the All-Star Break. Although depth had been a strength of the team, aggressive moves at the trade deadline thinned the rotation.

Meeks could potentially join Norman Powell, Jeremy Lin and Patrick McCaw in helping the backcourt off the bench.

Even without much playing time this season, the guard has proved himself as a quality scorer with a career average of 9.3 points per game on 37.2 percent shooting from three-point range. His outside shooting could be especially valuable as the Raptors try to bring home their first-ever NBA title.

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry will not play Wednesday evening against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of ankle soreness, per team reporter Eric Smith:

Nurse said any and all tests were done. The ankle is fine. He is just dealing with soreness. In fact Kyle traveled to OKC because there was some thought that he might play. But he is too sore still and officially out. status for Friday TBD https://t.co/fGDKhdGacS

— Eric Smith (@Eric__Smith) March 20, 2019

While Lowry suffered a thigh injury earlier in the season that caused him to miss time and played 60 games in 2016-17 because of a broken wrist, he has been fairly durable of late. He appeared in 70 or more games in four of the last five seasons entering the 2018-19 campaign. 

Toronto can ill afford to lose the five-time All-Star for significant time if it is going to deliver on championship hopes with LeBron James no longer standing in the way in the Eastern Conference.

Lowry can hit from the outside, attack the lane off the bounce and facilitate when defenders collapse on his playmaking. He is averaging 14.8 points and 9.0 assists per game as the team's floor general who helps take some of the offensive pressure off of Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam.

Look for the Raptors to turn to the combination of Fred VanVleet and Jeremy Lin at point guard while Lowry is sidelined.

Few teams in the league have as capable of a duo backing up the starting point guard, so VanVleet and Lin can ideally keep the team afloat until Lowry is ready to return.

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry suffered a right ankle injury during Monday's game against the New York Knicks, but Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN cited sources who said the "belief is that it's not serious."

Wojnarowski also reported Lowry was undergoing testing on the injury.

Prayers up to Kyle Lowry who was helped to the locker room after injuring his right ankle. 🙏🙏🙏 https://t.co/BjOTQz8XSN

— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) March 19, 2019

Prior to the 2018-19 season, the 32-year-old had been able to maintain relatively good health since arriving in Toronto. He appeared in at least 70 games in four of the past five seasons, although a broken wrist limited him to 60 games in 2016-17.

This season has been tougher from a health standpoint, though. He missed four games in December because of a thigh injury. After playing one game following that issue, he was then sidelined for six games with a sore lower back and received pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory injections.

It's been another solid performance for the five-time All-Star in the first year of the post-DeMar DeRozan era. Lowry is averaging 14.8 points and 9.1 assists in 56 games this season, helping the Raptors to a 49-21 record, good for second place in the Eastern Conference.

Even with the Villanova product out, the Raptors should be able to continue winning games as they fight for home-court advantage. A roster featuring Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Marc Gasol and Pascal Siakam has more than enough talent to remain competitive in the East.

Toronto's ultimate goal is to deliver the franchise's first championship, so it is important for the team to make sure Lowry is healthy before having him return to the court. While the Raptors should be able to survive without him during the regular season, he is expected to be a vital piece come playoff time.