DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are looking like All-Star

DeMar DeRozan has taken over after Rudy Gay packed his ball and moved to Sacramento Kings and he has averaged 21.4 points, 5 boards, 4.5 assists since December 8 against the Lakers. This week he put on Raptors on his back on Tuesday when he and the Raptors stepped on the court and battled the very tough Indiana Pacers in Indiana four hours after stepping off a plane from south beach and fell down 17 points and by the end of the Pacers game that the Pacers won 86-79. It was a lot closer than the score says and DeRozan's 28 points was the lead reason that the Raps were in a game against a pissed off Pacers that they could of folded the tents and took the first flight home. The next night back @ the ACC DeRozan could not hit a field goal to save his life (3 of 15) but when he struggles he has found different ways to contribute and against the Pistons he took 16 free throws and made 13 of them while taken down 6 boards and 4 assists in a 112-91 victory where they were asleep at the wheel in the first half down 4 (54-50) and tuned up and destroyed in the second half 62-37. Then Saturday for Drake night the team was flat but DeRozan record 7 boards in the first half and the team woke with 5 minutes left in the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets down 62-52 and went on a 26-3 run over 10:45. DeRozan had 12 of the 26 points equaling his 12 points in the first 29 minutes of the game and ended the game with 26 points as the Raps won 96-80. DeMar DeRozan may not be selected but a lot more people have noticed him in the last 34 days at least and will be a huge reason if the Raps build on the 12-5 record post Rudy Gay and are a strong first round playoff team before they meet the class of the east (heat or Pacers). Kyle Lowry is a strong candidate @ the point but things smell fishy as I have wondered if his 8.2 assist a game in the past 17 games which is .8 better than his season average (7.4) is the real deal and it has clicked or is he playing the sharing game to make him look better and make it look like he can be a team player. Either way he can be a secondary scorer like he was in the loss to the Pacers with 16 points (7 of 16 from the field) or pass the ball like he did the next night with 9 of the Raps 25 assists and also lead the team in points with 21 (4 of 6 beyond the arc and 9 of 9 from the line). He has been getting to the line a lot in the last 17 games as he has taken 76 free throws and made 62 of them which is low as he missed only one before the holiday break but lost his touch since going 32 of 46. He should be in front of the pack to be selected and if he does he deserves it but long term I do not know if he is a keeper even though he is playing the right way, right now It is a lot of fun watching the Raps play the right way Tom Mehegan