MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 24: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Miami Heat drives to the basket during the first … [+] half of the game against the Boston Celtics at Miami-Dade Arena on January 24, 2023 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesMiami Heat fans expected at least one sure thing after a turbulent summer of emotional investment in every potential trade: the removal of Kyle Lowry from the roster.
They were further incensed with Lowry for being absent during the team’s Media Day on October 3. While head coach Erik Spoelstra, Jimmy Butler and the rest of the roster spoke optimistically about their playoff chances this season, Lowry moved in the shadows of the Kaseya Center, taking requisite team photos from station to station, while avoiding any direct interaction with media members. After pinning their hopes on Damian Lillard and, to a lesser degree, Jrue Holiday, Miami fans were “stuck” with Lowry, and it was like he wasn’t even there.
Just over 24 hours later, on day one of training camp to kick off the 2023-24 season, there was the 37-year-old Lowry, very much in attendance and breaking hearts around South Florida.
“I expect to be the starting point guard,” said Lowry.
And he should.
Spoelstra would respond to Lowry’s statement later in the day, indicating that nothing was yet set in terms of the starting rotation. Lowry, along with other guards like Tyler Herro, Josh Richardson and Dru Smith, would get their chance. But Lowry has earned the right to compete and to believe in his self-worth, even after a year of incessant trade rumors had him included in any number of deals that never materialized.
Lowry hasn’t exactly thrived since signing with the Heat in 2021, but expectations were outsized from the start. He was among the top free agents of that year’s class, and there was strong interest from a number of teams. For the Heat, he was the missing piece on a team that had just been in the NBA Finals two seasons earlier. They lacked point-of-attack defense in the backcourt and a solid complement to Butler, Herro and Bam Adebayo. His championship experience aligned perfectly with Miami’s title hopes.
Early returns were fantastic, with Lowry’s fast-tempo offense and still-dependable defense pushing the Heat. Eventually, however, the tempo slowed down to accommodate a more deliberate approach from Butler and Adebayo, and Lowry was injured midway through the season. In the playoffs, he was a shell of who he was earlier that season, much less a complementary piece.
This past season was more of the same. At one point, Lowry led the league – at 36 years old – in minutes per game. A knee injury in February was the worst possible timing. Weeks before the NBA trade deadline, it seemed predestined that his days in Miami were over. But no deal took place and Lowry returned in March, to a restructured role off the bench, and Gabe Vincent taking over as a starter. Miami advanced to the Finals, and Lowry had occasional flashes throughout the run.
Vincent is gone now. Lillard and Smith never came. And Lowry is the only “point guard,” as indefinable as that position is in 2023, left on the roster.
Spoelstra’s noncommitment matters, inasmuch as a starting role isn’t guaranteed to anyone but Butler and Adebayo. There are other options, too, with a combination of Herro, Caleb Martin or the newly-returned Richardson filling out the backcourt. And yet, Lowry – if healthy – represents Miami’s best option.
The starting nod, as we’ve seen with Spoelstra’s lineups, isn’t etched in stone. They remain flexible throughout the season, perhaps one of his biggest strengths. As such, Lowry could start until he’s no longer capable of filling the role. And, as with Kevin Love last season, starting doesn’t necessarily mean being out on the floor in the waning moments of a game. Given the top-heavy rosters on other Eastern Conference contenders like Milwaukee and Boston, having Lowry start allows their role players to stay healthy throughout the regular season and to have a greater impact, as Vincent, Strus and Martin showed in this past postseason. A team that routinely mines gold out of undrafted players needs its depth, as much as they need stars like Butler, Adebayo and, yes, Herro, to be at their very best.
Perhaps it’s just blind optimism that Lowry will be healthy enough to make an impact. But, if he is, he can still be an above-average defender while setting the table for Miami’s primary scorers.
Critics of Lowry’s Heat tenure are stuck looking at Lowry’s past, and the expectations unfairly tied to his salary. He’ll be making just shy of $29.7 million this season. It’s undoubtedly a lot of money and a poor value given his production and availability over the last two seasons. None of this is in Lowry’s power to control. The Heat offered a contract that was, in 2021, a fair price for what Lowry was expected to offer: championship experience, playmaking and defense. He still provides that, albeit less frequently than many, including Lowry, expected.
Simply put, there are no other realistic options. The dream of adding Lillard and Holiday has already faded into memory in the cold morning light. Available free agent guards like Goran Dragic (still a possibility), Austin Rivers or John Wall aren’t likely to provide anything but an unsustainable impact. Lowry occasionally shone during Miami’s most recent playoff run. The team’s best hope is that he’s healthy enough to be a more frequent bright spot. Accepting the possibility of a healthy, engaged Lowry is Miami’s best chance of avoiding the dark reality of another offseason chasing stars that fell elsewhere. The one that landed in Miami in 2021 is still on the roster.