Raptors’ Record-Breaking Season a “Wasted Year” After Early Playoff Exit Says Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry with the Toronto Raptors in 2016
Kyle Lowry with the Toronto Raptors in 2016. Photo by Canadian Press/REX/Shutterstock (7566510g)

Toronto Raptors finished the regular NBA season as the number one seed in the Eastern Conference with a 59-23 record. They posted a franchise record for most wins in a regular season and were tied with Houston Rockets as the NBA’s best team at the home court. Still, that didn’t matter much to Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, who called the season a “wasted year” after his team was swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

We felt like we could possibly make the NBA Finals,” – said Lowry during the Raptors’ exit interviews. “That was our goal.

Toronto Raptors’ hopes of the for NBA Finals vapored away on Monday night when the Cleveland Cavaliers won the elimination Game 4 in a big fashion, 128-93. Kyle Lowry only had five points in this game alongside four rebounds and 10 assists. This was the third straight season that the Raptors are being eliminated by the Cavs and LeBron James in the playoffs.

To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” – Lowry added. “We’ve continuously failed against the team that made the Finals the last three years.

His teammate DeMar DeRozan also feels bad about the defeat.

This is probably the toughest, most frustrating, difficult, lowest feeling I’ve had,” – said DeRozan. “You get to that point where you’re standing firm through everything and you feel like you can’t get knocked down again, and you realize you do get knocked back down again. It’s kind of the worst feeling.

It looks like all the good that Toronto Raptors did this regular season was erased with their poor performance in the playoffs. Sources close to the Raptors are reporting that the front office is preparing some major changes and are even considering replacing NBA Coach of the Year candidate Dwane Casey. There are also talks that the team might consider resetting their roster. Whether this turns out to be true or not, the Raptors are facing another challenging offseason in which they will try to find the way to beat The King.

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