After the Miami Heat dropped their last game on Friday, their Game 3 bout with the Philadelphia 76ers, the takes started to fly. They cover all forms of the spectrum.
It was doomsday in some corners of the Miami Heat fandom experience. There was a certain level of understanding in others.
Even with those two polar opposites though, there was a myriad of opinions, thoughts, prescriptions, and analytical takes on what happened Friday night.
This is the one that seems most appropriate though.
The Miami Heat, after winning Games 1 and 2 going away, came out and laid an egg in Game 3. They chose the most inopportune time to have one of their worst offensive showings of the year.
It was bigger than just that too though. There are no excuses, as you expect excellence out of the Miami Heat, however, there were several more key factors going against them.
Miami Heat Playoffs: They Need More Kyle Lowry Offense In Game 4
They did so against a Philadelphia team, not only, playing at home in front of their crowd but also one that was experiencing elation on the back of getting their MVP candidate and best player back in Joel Embiid.
It was the perfect recipe for a defeat.
However, that recipe had to be perfect, meaning all of those things shouldn’t come together again to cost Miami as dearly as it did on Friday. Even amongst all of the other takes though, there is one that has some merit—or at least, a certain level of intrigue.
With Kyle Lowry returning to the lineup for the first time since Game 3 of their first-round victory over the Atlanta Hawks, there could be something to the fact that everyone had to readjust to his reinsertion.
Now, if anyone can make that transition as smooth as possible, it’s a guy like Kyle Lowry, however, you do have to look at what he did in Game 3 compared to what his fill-in, Gabe Vincent, was able to do in Games 1 and 2.
Miami Heat Playoffs: Kyle Lowry Taking Shots Is Bigger Than Just His Numbers
Though not an extremely hefty set of numbers, Vincent was able to threaten the Philadelphia defense in his time as the starter for the first two games. Though only 10 and seven-point performances, respectively, Vincent was a live body out on there on the offensive end for Miami.
He totally got his shots up, taking 19 shots and 11 threes among them across the two games. As far as Lowry, he didn’t score at all in Game 3, only taking four shots and two threes along the way.
When you look at those numbers, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the raw impact of points scored on the overall score of a game, which is true. However, one man’s offensive impact and ability to be effective on the court only allows his teammates to be that much better.
The defense can’t cheat or discount any one man, while there is also that positive correlation between defensive manipulation and guys that can score on an offense. As the available options to get a bucket go up on the offense, the ability of the defense to not be manipulated for scores goes down as a result of having to bend when anyone on the other side touches the ball.
That creates more lanes, looks, and less attention on any given one player, random player, or attempt. If five guys are threats to score, one man, unless you are Brook Lopez of the Bucks, won’t be able to fall completely back into a rim-protecting-only position.
It’s simpler than it reads, trust us. That’s why you always need Kyle Lowry aggressive though.
It’s hard to pinpoint that as the reason, explicitly why Miami wasn’t able to get Game 3, but it certainly didn’t help. If it was the reason, it was a necessary sacrifice.
You need Kyle Lowry to accomplish your ultimate goal this season, a title. With that, you trust he’ll be better in Game 4 and beyond though, as that’s what he’s done all year long.