ASK IRA: Are Heat now banking on Kyle Lowry as their missing piece?
Q: Is Erik Spoelstra seeing a good 20 to 30 minutes per playoff game out of Kyle Lowry where he’s close to old form (dictating tempo, getting 12 points, including a couple of threes, low turnovers, a steal or two, and maybe six assists)? And the question for you: Would he be right in thinking that? Do you believe a healthy and effective Lowry would be enough to at least get us to and into a competitive second-round series? – Phillip, San Francisco.
A: I’m not sure that Erik Spoelstra has a definitive read on Kyle Lowry just three games back after a month out. You will know the confidence has reached the next level when Kyle is back in the starting lineup. But, yes, Spoelstra certainly is hoping for something similar to what you postulate, if only because there really is not a Plan B. In other words, if you shuffle out Kyle because of ongoing injury concern, who do you shuffle into the equation at point guard along with Gabe Vincent? And, yes, if Kyle takes a step back toward what expectations were, then, yes, with the right matchup (did anyone say 76ers?), I could be more of a playoff fight than currently is expected.
Q: Omer Yurtseven is good. He just needs more minutes. – Ronnie.
A: First, you don’t get more minutes when you are called for three fouls 2:11 into your first stint, as was the case for Omer Yurtseven in Wednesday night’s victory over the Grizzlies. To be on the floor you have to show an ability to stay on the floor. Beyond that, Omer’s skillset is such that he well could do more as a featured, bigger-minutes player (as he was when Bam Adebayo was out last season) than in a limited backup role. It could be as simple as the current role is more conducive to what Cody Zeller can provide (once his nose is reset) than what Omer might offer. It’s possible it’s just wrong time, wrong situation for Omer.
Q: They’re not going to blow this by losing now to the Bulls and Pistons, right? – Eddu.
A: Well, they’re a combined 0-3 against the Bulls and Pistons to this point of a season, so, heck, a win Saturday in Chicago or Sunday in Detroit would be a breakthrough. The one thing about the 2022-23 Miami Heat is you can’t put anything past them.
()