Miami Heat: Post-All-Star Break Midseason Awards
By Will Salinas
Miami Heat: Post-All-Star Break Midseason Awards – Most Valuable Player
The last award is the MVP.
Most Valuable Player
This MVP for the Miami Heat might surprise some people, but for what he’s done so far, it has to be Kyle Lowry. Lowry came to Miami to relieve the pressure off of Butler and help run the offense.
What he has ended up doing is a bit more than expected, while he has stepped up to the plate in every facet of the game, hands down. That stretch without Bam and Jimmy, where he was running with 10-day and undrafted players, was a lot to ask of the veteran point guard.
He could’ve just given an average effort and took defeats until the calvary came back. Instead, he rallied everyone together and they played some special basketball.
Without Lowry, there is no way the Heat have the one seed and I think that would still be the case if Adebayo and Butler were healthy. You knew the Miami Heat were getting a floor general, but even that feels like an understatement.
With him present, the defense is quicker and guys like Butler can run the floor instead of going to get the ball after a rebound. Now, every MVP has signature moments in the regular season and Lowry has had plenty.
Think back to the first matchup in Dallas. Lowry had 22 points and nine assists, but the stats aren’t what impressed, but rather the way he was scoring and assisting.
Lowry went six of nine from three-point range and made it look effortless. The range he was pulling from could be located in Houston.
His most recent game against Charlotte was an interesting one too. On a night where everyone absolutely stunk, Lowry was able to hit clutch shot after clutch shot to help get the Heat a double-overtime win.
It was great to see him take over because during all of last season, if Bam and Jimmy both struggled, that’s a double-digit loss. He finished with 25 points, nine boards, and five assists in the win and though the numbers may not stand out, they are a completely different team when he’s active.
He may not be the flashiest MVP, but he’s gotten the job done for the Miami Heat this season. The Miami Heat could have easily been in play-in territory without Lowry and it’s not that crazy of a notion.
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Besides his personal leaves, Lowry’s availability has kept the Heat ahead as the first seed and that is why he’s the MVP of this team. Again the season is only halfway done, but the first seeded Heat deserved some recognition from top to bottom.
This was that.