Morning Coffee: Dec. 30th Edition

Lowry stepping up in Gay's absence | Ujiri as much to blame for the Knicks as Dolan is | Fan awkwardly stalks Austin Daye

Raptors growing by leaps and bounds without Rudy Gay | Toronto Sun

Kyle Lowry, easily the most hard-hit by the trade of his best friend and godfather to his son, has found another gear. Rather than lament Gay’s loss in the locker room he is thriving in an offence that has lost the sticky nature of a ball being thrown into a proven scorers’ hands and then staying there until said scorer could find a shot for himself. Now the ball moves from one set of hands to the next not settling until the defence has been run sufficiently ragged and don’t have that last burst to close on a shooter who all of a sudden has space and time to set up and calmly deliver.

Kyle Lowry and the suddenly surging Raptors | SBNation.com

“What am I gonna do?” Lowry said with a laugh. “It’s my job. It’s a business. Be mad? It is what it is to me. I’m really not worried about it. Until, like I said — I’ve said it 50 million times and I’ma say it 50 more — until the day something happens, I’m a Raptor and I’m gonna play for the Raptors and play hard for the Raptors.”

Does Kyle Lowry remain a Raptor? Part 1 of 2 | Raptors Rapture

Fans of the Toronto Raptors have been treated to a brilliant season from their point guard, Kyle Lowry. He has done everything one could ask: he’s averaging 15+ points PG [per game], and sports a much-improved assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.17/1. Kyle rebounds remarkably well for a small man, and is an excellent defender. There’s no indication of him causing any issues in the locker room, and even his habit of battling with his coach seems to have dissipated. Kyle is playing great – so let’s trade him.

Years of Dolan deals produced this Knicks disaster | New York Post

The home-and-home sweep to close 2013 certified that Ujiri’s pair of trades with the Knicks never looked better — two trades he made in two places that have wrecked owner James Dolan’s grand plan.

Amir Johnson and Vasquez spotting | RealGM

En route I asked Austin, “So are you in Caseys dog house or something? Why isn’t he giving you any PT?” To which he replied, “politics man. it’s all about politics in this game.” I said, “I hear ya brother.”