As the season draws to within 20 games for each team, the NBA Free Agents of 2014 are making their cases for a big paycheck. Kyle Lowry certainly deserves it.

The new CBA (collective bargaining agreement) makes it difficult to get a big contract for the players. The only thing working for this year's free agents is that there are a lot of teams with cap space, combined with a lot of GMs pressured to deliver.

Kyle Lowry was considered the biggest All Star snub this year. His stats of 17.2 points, 7.9 assists and 4.7 (Basketball reference.com) is comparable to John Wall's stats for the best point guards in the East. But both of them lost out to fan favorite Kyrie Irving. The coaches selected Wall into the reserves, and Lowry did not stand a chance.

His infamous stand-off with former coach Kevin McHale of Houston still lingers like a black cloud over him. The Golden State Warriors reportedly wanted to trade for him but hesitated citing 'team chemistry issues.'

With Toronto's sudden emergence after the Rudy Gay trade, the Raptors are now playoff bound. Nobody deserves more credit than the ace point guard.

He sat down with Yahoo Sports: "I had to look at myself in the mirror. I know what people are saying now, 'Oh it's a contract year,' but it's bigger than that for me. Yes, I want a contract. And then I want to outgrow that one and get another one. But I want to win. I want to grow. And to grow, you've got to be able accept coaching.

"You've got to be able to be coached."

He recalls his rough start. Lowry was not super quick, athletic or flashy as the other point guards. He wasn't a lights out shooter either.  He was drafted late, and he had 'reserve' written all over him.

"I struggled to prove that I belonged. My first couple years in the NBA, my fear was that I was going to go to the D-League - and maybe never get back to the NBA. I was picked 24th and that's not the cushion that a lottery pick gets in the NBA. You get a few chances, and then you're done. Then you're just a label, never to be a frontline guy.

"But I didn't want to be a backup. I hated that label. I did not want to be a backup in this league. I wasn't going to settle for it, and I think it rubbed people the wrong way. But I didn't want to be labeled as a journeyman, or a guy who has the talent, but just can't get it together. I wanted the label of a guy who's a winner. That's the most important label you can have in this league."

After trading star forward Rudy Gay, who was criticized this season for taking too many ill-advised shots, the Raptors were filled with role players on expiring contracts. It seemed like they were ready to tank and give GM Masai Ujiri a fresh start. Lowry was all over the trade rumor mill.

Then something unexpected happened. Lowry made all of his teammates look better and ran an efficient offense. They went as high as third in the East, and is now poised to win the Atlantic Division. 

No matter how the Raptors season ends, Lowry will get good looks from teams that are short of a starting point guard. The LA Lakers can make a large offer outright to make him Kobe Bryant's running mate. The Knicks have been proposing trades for him.

He finally has the chance to be in the big spotlight, but is Toronto 'home' for this journeyman?