ASK IRA: Is it time for Heat to consider giving Kyle Lowry a break?
Do the Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra need to cut back on Kyle Lowry's workload?
Q: A lot of people are talking about Duncan Robinson or Tyler Herro as a starter. But shouldn’t the Heat consider moving Kyle Lowry to the bench when Tyler Herro returns? Herro shouldn’t be used as a spacer when the ball will usually be in his hands. Herro needs a spacer like Duncan Robinson with him. And with Herro’s improvement on defense and Lowry’s diminishing ability to guard, it’s not a loss on defense either. Herro, Duncan, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin and Bam Adebayo. Thoughts? – Adam.
A: To a degree, although perhaps not with Duncan Robinson as the other backcourt starter, this is how some thought it would play out at the start of the season, with Tyler Herro opening the season as the starting point guard and Kyle Lowry anchoring the second unit, as he did during last season’s playoff run to the NBA Finals. Instead, Erik Spoelstra didn’t ruffle feathers, Kyle played well, and then Tyler got hurt. But now, with Kyle dealing with back spasms at 37, perhaps the timing is right to start playing it safe with Kyle, rather than losing him at midseason for a second consecutive year. The difference this time around is there no Gabe Vincent in the mix. What such a move can’t be made to look like is any sort of demotion, since Kyle has done all that has been asked, including pushing through his discomfort Monday night in Charlotte. But if the Heat do get Kyle’s already-reasonable 29.6 minutes per game down, it could enhance the possibilities of a fresher, healthier veteran leader for when the games count most.
Q: Ira, why is it that the coaches of the Miami Heat do not provide updates on injured players? All you here are crickets when it comes to updates on Tyler Herro’s sprained ankle from some five weeks ago. And on Bam Adebayo’s bruised hip we have not heard a word in over a week. Is this a rule in the NBA that coaches cannot comment on the injured players or is it just the preference of Erik Spoelstra? – Barry, Deerfield Beach.
A: It actually is a preference of Pat Riley, who believes the conversation should be about those playing and impacting the results. By rule, a team only has to say if a player is out or available. There are no requirements when it comes to timetables. Erik Spoelstra, however, has been candid when he perceives that the speculation is going in the wrong direction. For example, he said Bam Adebayo, who was raised in North Carolina, was with the team for Monday night’s game in Charlotte simply because the center wanted to be on the trip. But, mostly, the Heat avoid timetables because recoveries rarely are linear, and then the perception becomes that a player is malingering, rather than listening to his body and the training staff.
Q: Does Nikola Jovic have to earn his way back to the Heat? – Flip.
A: No, because it’s not as if a stint in the G League should be viewed as punitive for a 20-year-old. What the Heat’s 2022 first-round pick has to do is maximize his playing time with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and turn the experience into a positive. Again, with Nikola, much of his status with the Heat is a factor of the remainder of the rotation and whether he merits playing ahead of those already in that rotation. Now, if he can thrive in a power role, the opportunity is more likely. There simply are too many wing options who rate ahead of him on the Heat roster at the moment.