The Miami Heat getting Kyle Lowry was arguably the biggest signing of the offseason. He inked a three-year, $90 million deal with them on the first day of free agency.
Before last season, he made six straight All-Star games. This means the Heat will have a big three of Lowry, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo.
Lowry brings a lot of things to the table on both ends of the floor. On top of that, his friendship with Butler means he’ll likely be a great locker room presence as well.
With all that being said, what does the Lowry signing mean for this season? What will he bring to the team on and off the court?
What the Kyle Lowry signing means for the Miami Heat: Championship experience
As good as the Miami Heat are, none of their star players have won a championship. Lowry has been one of the best players on a championship roster.
He and Kawhi Leonard led the Toronto Raptors to their first championship in franchise history in 2019. This experience means Lowry knows what it takes to win in the playoffs.
Though this may seem like an overrated skill, it is a very necessary one in the NBA. He will certainly bring a ton of wisdom to the Miami Heat locker room in that regard.
Miami’s other two signings, PJ Tucker and Markieff Morris, have also won an NBA Championship, but they weren’t one of the top players. Having a guy who knows how to be a leader on a championship-caliber team will be very useful for the Miami Heat this season.
What the Kyle Lowry signing means for the Miami Heat: Extra playmaking
The Miami Heat were one of the best playmaking teams in the NBA last season. They were top ten in the league in assists per game.
That being said, a majority of their offense ran through Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Having Lowry around will allow these two to have less pressure on them to make plays.
Putting the ball in the hands of the best players is always ideal, but having another elite playmaker around is a great thing. Lowry has been a top passer in the NBA for years.
Lowry has averaged at least six assists per game every year since the 2010-11 season. On top of that, he’s cracked the seven assist mark five different times.
The only time Lowry averaged more than eight assists in a season was in 2019 when the Raptors won an NBA Championship. Lowry averaged 8.7 assists per game that year.
Clearly, having other elite players around him made him a better passer than ever before. There’s no reason he can’t replicate that success in Miami.
Miami is primed to be the best team in the NBA this year when it comes to passing the ball. Between Lowry, Butler, and Adebayo, they have three of the best playmakers at their position in the league.
What the Kyle Lowry signing means for the Miami Heat: Much-needed shooting
Contrary to their passing, the Miami Heat were horrendous last season when it came to shooting the ball. They were in the bottom half of the league when it came to three-point percentage.
In addition, Duncan Robinson was the only reason they were as good as they were. Without his shooting, they would have been one of the bottom three shooting teams in the NBA.
Adding Lowry to the starting lineup gives them another shooter to work with. He has been a great shooter for the majority of his NBA career.
He has shot over 38% from deep in four of the last six seasons. In addition, he shot 39.6% from deep last year, just a tiny ways away from the elusive 40% club.
His shooting will help the Miami Heat in a lot of different ways. The biggest help it will provide is that they now have another player who is an actual threat from that range.
Opposing defenses could slack off on Jimmy Butler and other players at the end of games last season. This made it harder for the Heat to score in the paint.
Having another threat on the three-point line will make life easier for Butler and Bam Adebayo on the inside. This should help the Heat’s offense a ton.
In addition, Lowry will also help take the focus off of Robinson, therefore getting him more open looks. Last year, opponents could get away with solely focusing on Robinson, but now they’ll have to worry about Lowry, too.
Lowry opens up a ton of opportunities for the Miami Heat on offense. His presence will help elevate them to the level of a title contender this year.