The Miami Heat are preparing for the NBA playoffs, commanding homecourt advantage for as long as the South Beach squad continues to win. On the precipice of the postseason, the play of point guard Kyle Lowry may just hold the key to the Heat’s success.
Lowry guided Miami’s offense through the season, averaging 13.4 points and 7.5 assists (ranking 10th in the NBA) per game. Lowry immediately proved to be a rudder for a, still, very young Heat squad.
But Lowry will have to kick it into a higher gear if the top team in the Eastern Conference is going to make a run. He will need to find the 2019 playoff Kyle to help his team survive and advance.
What Kyle Lowry Did In The 2019 NBA Playoffs
For the Toronto Raptors, Lowry averaged seventeen and six in the playoffs in points and assists, guiding the Raptors’ offense seven times in extra games. But on the championship run in 2019 in specific, Lowry showed just how special his extra gear could be in the postseason.
Lowry is more than fine deferring, allowing the offense to run through him or find buckets for others, getting extra possessions for his team the hard way, taking charges, and playing sound defense while others load up the box score. But when a matchup proves favorable, Lowry sinks his teeth into opponents and elevates his play.
The Miami Heat need a complete showing to win it all in 2022. That includes a championship version of their point guard, Kyle Lowry.
Against the Milwaukee Bucks, Lowry averaged 19 per game (six more points than the prior play), toasting Eric Bledsoe and leading the Raptors on a 4-0 run to come back and win the series. In the playoffs in 2019, not only had Bledsoe proven to be a liability, but the Bucks were among the middle of the road in defensive rating against guards that postseason.
Needless to say, Kyle Lowry took advantage.
In the title series, he did it again against another middle-of-the-road team for defensive rating against guards in the Golden State Warriors.
The banged-up reigning champs were down or losing stars, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant. The defense against guards suffered from the losses and yet again, Lowry seized upon the opportunity.
He cruised for an average of 16 points and seven assists in the series, capping it all off with 26 points to grab the chip. When the money is on the table and people need to show their cards, Lowry takes advantage of matchups, leading to team success.
And that’s the real key here—team success. Throughout that season, yes, Lowry took a back seat to Kawhi Leonard.
Following nearly a decade in Canada, he let the Cali Kid come in and run the team, especially on offense. Throughout the 2018-2019 season, Lowry only averaged over 15 points per game in one month of the season.
But—He was able to step up to the plate when the team needed him to take over the most, especially when there was a matchup to exploit.
That is precisely the kind of veteran the Miami Heat will need this postseason. Miami needs the savvy guard who picks his spots in a series and makes opponents pay when it’s time to win or go home.
To be plain and direct, the Miami Heat need 2019 Kyle Lowry.