ASK IRA: What exactly was Kyle Lowry’s Heat season debut all about?
Q: The Heat’s starting point guard was the player formerly known as Kyle Lowry. – Joel.
A: It was, to say the least, an odd opener for Kyle Lowry, who was credited with attempting only one shot, and that shot, what was listed in the play-by-play as an errant 11-foot floater with 72 seconds left, looked as much like a pass attempt as a shot attempt. In going 31:52, Lowry also had two assists, two rebounds and two steals. Yes, Tyler Herro quarterbacked the second unit. Yes, Dru Smith played 8:40 to provide rest. But it almost was as if the Heat played the game without a point guard. Based on the uncertainty with Josh Richardson’s injured foot, the questions at point guard only mount. And now it’s three games over four nights on the road, starting Friday in Boston. If Kyle Lowry was saving it, we’ll see soon enough. But this was the most unusual of season debuts.
Q: We can bemoan again losing a large lead late in the game. However there were some positives. Tyler Herro was a defensive asset early in the game with several steals. Thomas Bryant contributed and Jaime Jaquez Jr. had a promising start to his NBA debut. Caleb Martin looked like he’s still not 100% and Tyler was inconsistent on offense. Those should be outliers. What is a little concerning was Kyle Lowry doing his impersonation of Ben Simmons. This team needs scoring and Kyle needs to produce. – Rodney.
A: Agree. Become a decoy or a passive presence too often and the defense winds up further packing the paint. At the least, with Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson playing off the bench, the Heat need Kyle Lowry’s 3-point threat. If he is not spacing the floor, it only will get all the more difficult for Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler.
Q: The Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins both finished 84-78. The Diamondbacks finished 16 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. The Diamondbacks are going to the World Series. We know about the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers from last season, eighth seeds to the championship round. Does the regular season matter? How will last season’s playoff success affect the Heat’s mindset this season? – Stuart.
A: No, in leagues where so many teams advance to the playoffs it does not count nearly as much it used to. Take baseball, when it was World Series or bust. Or even when it was only the World Series and league championship series, with just four playoff teams. Even the NFL playoffs are watered down. And in the NBA, when you include the play-in round, 20 of the 30 teams advance beyond the close of the regular season. So unless you are in the bottom third of the league, you still have a chance. The chance the Heat maximized. The chance the Panthers maximized. And now the chance the Diamondbacks get to maximize. Yes, it’s too much. But it’s also extra programming, which seemingly is what it only is about these days.