Miami Heat: 5 Things They Can Do To Contend Again Next Season
By Noah Decker
Miami Heat: 5 Things They Can Do To Contend Again- Sign Kyle Lowry
One criticism of Jimmy Butler this postseason was that he wasn’t being as aggressive of a scorer as Miami needed.
2. Sign Kyle Lowry
As the Heat’s primary playmaker, Butler struggled with the balance of when to score and when to involve teammates. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was one critic who did not hold back:
"“In the case of Jimmy Butler, yo bro, you the star. You the face of the franchise. You the face of the franchise. Enough of this, okay? This is the franchise that Zo (Alonzo Mourning), and Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal), and D-Wade (Dwyane Wade), and LeBron [James] and those cats were at. You the new standard, and the reality of the situation is that Jimmy Butler, Jimmy Butler has to show up and be Jimmy Butler. Enough of this passive stuff. Enough of this fitting in. You a star.”"
Another issue is that when Butler left the floor, the ball was in the hands of either Kendrick Nunn, who is more of a volume scorer than a playmaker for others and Goran Dragic, who has been very productive for the Heat for the past few seasons.
light. Hot. A case for Lonzo Ball over Kyle Lowry?
The issue with Dragic, however, is that as he grows older, his likelihood of injury also goes up. The Heat have the option to either keep him rostered for the next season or to move on.
If they decide to look for another veteran point guard, Kyle Lowry would be a great fit. Although Kyle Lowry is also aging, his playmaking and leadership make him a valuable asset for nearly any team.
Lowry put up a respectable 17 points, seven assists, and five rebounds last season. He also has proven he can be a primary ball handler on a championship team, as he helped the Raptors earn their first NBA title in 2019.
Lowry has been rumored to join the Heat for several years, so this could be the year it finally happens. With Fred VanVleet continuing to improve and the Toronto Raptors falling out of upper-echelon of Eastern Conference teams, it would make sense for Lowry to part ways with the organization he has poured his heart into.
If Lowry wants to contend for a title and Miami is looking for a proven leader who can arrange the offense, Pat Riley will find a way to make it work to sign the veteran guard. That’s number two.