The Miami Heat are being overlooked again. Well, that might be the case.
ESPN has begun releasing their top 100 NBA player rankings and the Miami Heat’s newest guard, Kyle Lowry, comes in at 43. The ranking has Heat fans wondering why the guard is ranked so low.
Does Lowry deserve to be this low and what do Miami Heat fans make of it? First off, are there any players that Lowry should be above?
Of course there are a few. These names include, Draymond Green, Pascal Siakam, Domantas Sabonis and Michael Porter Jr.
So, this puts Lowry in the high 30s, but there is still a fair argument for those players as well. Lowry, last season, averaged 17 points and seven assists per game, while trying to save the tanking Raptors from what was an unexplainable season.
He has the numbers to put himself over these players and context is definitely being thrown out. ESPN lists their reasoning for the spot of 43 as due to “age and injury” concerns.
Miami Heat: What To Make Of Kyle Lowry’s Top-100 ESPN Ranking
Addressing the age, that shouldn’t play a factor in ranking a player. These players should be ranked on what they’ve shown currently, despite their age.
LeBron wouldn’t be ranked lower than five because he only has a couple years left. While it is an issue that the Heat will have to face in one to two years, that shouldn’t hold Lowry back in a player’s ranking.
Age shouldn’t be used in a pick and choose situation. Moving on to the injury issue, Lowry did have some issues throughout the season, but it is hard to tell when injuries were a real factor and when these ‘injuries’ were just used as a disguise for rest so the Raptors could tank without penalty.
Injuries are a part of the game and with context, can be used to rank a player in the upcoming season. It still is a fair evaluation until we see Klay Thompson at 32 on the list.
Klay is definitely a top 30 player… when healthy, but the guy hasn’t played since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Why are we ranking one player based off of his age and injury, but the other off of what he can bring to his team at a 100 percent and after a two year absence?
Miami Heat: The Ranking Is Logical and Illogical… All At The Same Time
It doesn’t make sense. Let’s stop moving goalposts and actually attempt to provide reason.
So, with everything being said, is this a fair ranking? With there being a handful of players that are arguable, the answer would be yes.
It might seem like a harsh number saying it out loud, but the truth is that the league is filled with insane talent. Lowry at 43 could easily be moved up about five or six spaces.
Now, what do Heat fans make of this ranking? You can do two things with this list.
For one, just ignore it. ESPN gets these lists wrong every year and it’ll always have its errors.
This is a yearly debate that nobody will win. The second thing you can do is add it to the receipts.
The 2021-22 Miami Heat are looking to bounce back and shut the critics up. If Lowry can help this team reach their max potential, this list will look silly a year from now.
Count on it.