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After coming within one possession of going to the NBA Finals last season, the Miami Heat have had an abysmal start to 2022. The Heat currently have a record of just 2-5 and sit in 13th place in the Eastern Conference standings.
The road ahead won’t get any easier for the Heat. Three of their next four games are against the Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, and Portland Trail Blazers. All teams that have proven to be formidable this season.
Heat Urged to Bench Kyle Lowry After Underwhelming Start
The reason for the Heat’s early season struggles can be attributed to a multitude of factors. But one of Miami’s glaring weaknesses has been their All-Star guard, Kyle Lowry, who is in the second year of a 3-year, $185 million contract he signed in 2021.
On the year, Lowry is averaging 12.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. But his numbers aren’t the only problem, his shooting splits have been abysmal to this point. He is shooting 35% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc. They are not ideal numbers for a starting point guard, especially if the Heat are looking to take the next step as a team this year.
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce believes it is time for Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to move Lowry into a bench role.
“Man, he’s up there in age, He’s got a lot of miles. I think his best role on a championship team is a vet guard coming off the bench, truthfully,” Pierce said on the latest episode of “Ticket and Truth”.
“I think at your guard positions you need youth in those positions. So now when you’re looking at guys like Ja Morant, and LaMelo Ball, you need more youth. I think he’d be best suited as coming off the bench, being that veteran guard and somebody you can use at the end of games, too.”
Lowry: Time With Heat Is ‘Championship or Bust’
Lowry has been an All-Star and NBA champion in his career. He won the lone championship of his career in 2019 when his Toronto Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors to win the first title in the history of the franchise.
Lowry came to South Beach as a free agent in 2021, looking to repeat the same success he had during his time in Toronto. Upon his arrival, he admitted that his time in Miami is considered a ‘championship or bust’ mission.
“For me, it’s only championships or bust. Going to Miami that was a situation where I feel like this is what they wanna do. I have a close friend, Jimmy Butler, there and I feel like Miami, that’s what they wanna do. It’s about winning championships,” Lowry said on “The Pull Up” podcast in 2021.
“If you aren’t playing for championships, what are you playing for? And that’s the only thought process that went into my free agency is where do I go to become a champion?”
Part of the commitment to being a champion is making sacrifices for the betterment of the team, no matter how it may affect a player individually. If Lowry is about winning championships, then accepting a bench role should be a no-brainer if it helps the team.
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