The Miami Heat find themselves in a very interesting scenario. While they need to, somehow, find a way to add pieces to their team, they don’t have a ton of assets or resources available to get it done.
While they are estimated to have around $20 million dollars of cap space to allocate towards new player deals this offseason, they could get as high as $33 million based on some estimates. Either of those figures, with the right amount of arithmetic, magic, and gymnastics, could land them a pretty nice piece or few.
That also seems to be exactly the plan, as they need a point guard, that can score at all three levels, and have been linked to one since the NBA Trade Deadline began to approach and pass. That would be, one, Kyle Lowry.
Now, that brings up another interesting collision of theories, for lack of better terms, as they have also recently been linked to another scoring guard. This one, though, is a bit younger, a bit different in his approach, and might also require a longer-term investment.
The Miami Heat need a lead guard, but do they need one like Collin Sexton?
The Miami Heat have recently been linked to Collin Sexton of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though the more pertinent and applicable move there would be to try and work something out for Kevin Love and his bloated salary, exclusively, primarily, and individually, the reporting seems to indicate that he’s being looked at as, sort of, a filler in this deal.
While Sexton is a capable scorer at all three levels of the floor, is he as efficient as one would like him to be? Does he get it done in a manner that’s Miami Heat like?
That’s a major question and one that has to be answered… if the reports about said Miami Heat interest are accurate, which you have no reason to assume they aren’t. While there is still potential there, the Miami Heat shouldn’t be so bullish on the Young Bull, but this isn’t that.
What this is an opportunity to ask the important and relevant questions. Say the Miami Heat are, indeed, interested in bringing in Sexton, would they still be interested in Kyle Lowry?
There also arises another question based on the potential answers to that question. What is that, one might ask?
With Miami Heat interest in them both, could a Kyle Lowry and Collin Sexton backcourt work together?
While you don’t know if the Miami Heat would, indeed, be interested in bringing in Collin Sexton and Kyle Lowry, there is something that is for certain. While they could coexist, in the most natural and purest form, it wouldn’t be the optimal coexistence for the Miami Heat.
Basically, while they are both good enough players to play alongside one another, that situation wouldn’t necessary result in the type of success the Miami Heat would hope that they are getting when making those deals. Here is the kicker though, the problem probably isn’t even what you think it would be.
Offensively, it would, likely, be a very explosive combination. Though and as mentioned, Sexton isn’t the most efficient guy on the offensive end, he’s a bull in a china shot when attacking the rim and can hit the open range shot.
When you look at Kyle Lowry, he too is a bulldog in his own right. Like Sexton and probably with greater overall marksmanship, Lowry can drill outside shots for his team all night long too.
The issue is defensively. It isn’t an outright competitiveness thing either, as both of these guys have shown to be uber competitors. The issue is the size, the physicality, and ultimately the wear and tear.
The Miami Heat will eventually have to choose one, as they are too small to pair together as your starting guard combination.
Both of those guys are tiny. That’s just it.
When thinking about the backcourt, in a league where even quite a few of the lead guards are 6’3 and above, these two guys are shrimps. While they both have the hearts, wills, and the fight of guys twice their size, you can’t teach size.
You either have it or you don’t and these two guys don’t. It seems and quite honestly, would behoove the Miami Heat, to make a choice.
That’s quite easy too. Kyle Lowry would be the guy.
Not only can the fit of Sexton be questioned, but the investment it’ll take to keep him is something to think about. If you move the assets to get him, then you have to extend him if you are Miami and there really isn’t another way to go about it.
Though Lowry could see upwards of $25 million over the next three seasons, wherever he lands, you still feel a bit more comfortable making that investment. That, though, is why Lowry would be the ultimate target… but beyond that, why he and Sexton wouldn’t work together in the Miami Heat backcourt.