Kyle Lowry is ready to join the elite level of NBA point guards.

“I think I’ve broken into that second tier a little bit better than people expected me to and I’m trying to break into that first tier,” Lowry said Tuesday after being formally introduced as a Raptor.

“It’s going to be tough but I’m going to work myself to the point where I’m going to be in that first tier.”

Lowry expects Toronto to take several steps forward next season.

“It’ll be a good team, a playoff team,” he said. “I think we’ll be a team that’ll run a little bit more, we’ll have a little bit more toughness on defence. We’ll be more defensive-minded, get stops and we’re going to run.”