@miamiheat/Instagram Miami Heat's newest All-Star Kyle Lowry made his team debut in the first preseason game of the 2021-22 NBA season on October 4.
While there was already high anticipation for the Miami Heat‘s first preseason game of the year, a bulk of that excitement was to finally see how their newest star, Kyle Lowry, would gel with the rest of the team.
Lowry did not disappoint while taking on the Atlanta Hawks at the FTX Arena on Monday night. During the Heat’s 125-99 win, the 35-year-old point guard tallied five points, four rebounds, seven assists to five different players, and just one turnover in 15 minutes of play.
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The six-time All-Star put his leadership, talent, and unselfish play on full display during his debut. Among the standout plays, he connected with Bam Adebayo for a reverse alley-oop, threw an extra pass to P.J. Tucker who nailed a corner three, a no-dribble pass which set up Tyler Herro for a three, an offensive rebound to set up Duncan Robinson for three — all of this in the first half.
Robinson couldn’t help but gush about Lowry’s style of play after the game. “I feel like a lot of times, point guards feel like they always have to have the ball in their hands,” Heat’s sharpshooter said of his new teammate, per Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang.
“The first thing you notice with Kyle is how willing he is to get off the ball, which is super unique for a point guard. It’s controlled chaos.” — Duncan Robinson
“And he’s just so willing to move the ball ahead, hit-aheads, throw-aheads and create space for others to make plays. So yeah, it’s a luxury to be able to play with somebody like that. It can almost sometimes feel chaotic, but it’s like controlled chaos, which is an incredible line to be able to walk and he does it well.”
Adebayo Said Lowry Adapted ‘Very Quickly’
The accolades for Lowry kept pouring in during the postgame conference on Monday night. “We’re two high IQ players,” Adebayo said of Lowry, who set up two dunks for the All-Star center.
“It’s not that hard to figure out. He knows how I like to play,” Adebayo continued. I know how he likes to play. So, really easy. We’re just adapting to each other. And we adapted very quickly.”
Herro, who shined during the preseason opener, drilling 26 points in 26 minutes, also credited Lowry for his leadership on the court.
Tyler messed around tonight
🔥 26 Pts
🔥 9-12 FG
🔥 3-4 3PT
“Everyone notices a difference when he’s out there, how he gets the ball in transition and the thing’s all the way up the court already, to Bam or to whoever,” Herro said, per Sun Sentinel‘s Ira Winderman “So the way he gets everyone to his spots, he’s really advanced in that area.”
Erik Spoelstra Credits Lowry For Picking Up the Team’s Overall Pace
GettyCam Reddish #22 of the Atlanta Hawks drives to the basket against the Kyle Lowry #7 of the Miami Heat during a preseason game at FTX Arena on October 04, 2021 in Miami, Florida.
Last season, the Heat were the second slowest-paced team in the entire NBA, and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra says Lowry will be key in finally getting away from that stat. In the 2019-2020 season, Miami was the fourth slowest-paced team.
“It’s his brain speed,” Spoelstra said. “That’s what you always dreaded on the other side. You couldn’t relax for one second or one possession. He’s always scanning, looking ahead, looking for any weakness in the defense, particularly early in the clock. And if he doesn’t feel like it’s there, then he has a great feel for it when to get organized and get the ball where it needs to go.”
“That’s something that’s innate. And then, obviously, he’s deeply experienced in this league, running teams, and having to get the ball to specific people and run very good offenses over the course of his career. But pace has been one of the constants.”
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