Last summer, the Miami Heat made a big move when they traded for veteran point guard Kyle Lowry.
Lowry has championship pedigree and is a solid guard in the league. Unfortunately, Lowry’s 2021-22 season with the Heat wasn’t much to write home about.
According to Heat legend Tim Hardaway, one of the reasons Lowry was less effective last season compared to earlier in his career is because he was flopping so much on the court. Hardaway recently spoke with Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel and made it clear that he thinks Lowry has to change his approach on the court for the 2022-23 season.
“He needs to stop falling,” Hardaway said. “That’s why he’s getting hurt. And I’m going to say this, I love Kyle. Kyle Lowry, I love what he does out there on the court. I just wish he would stop flopping. I think keep that at a minimum.
“You keep falling on the floor, you keep falling on the floor, you keep falling on the floor, yes, you’re going to get injured, yes you’re going to get hurt, yes it’s going to keep you out of the lineup. I think that’s what’s really hurt him, flopping and falling all the time. Stop falling all the time.”
Lowry certainly missed some time last season. He played in just 10 games during the Heat’s push to the Eastern Conference Finals. In those 10 games, it was clear that he wasn’t 100 percent healthy, as he averaged just 7.8 points, 4.7 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game.
Hardaway then appealed directly to Lowry, reminding him that the Heat need him to win.
“The Heat need you at point guard,” Hardaway said. “They don’t need you on the bench not playing. They need you to be on the court playing 100 percent at a high level, just like you did in Toronto. You can do it if you stop falling on the floor so much.”
It’s an interesting point for sure, and while Hardaway is right about the Heat needing Lowry on the floor, it is unclear how much his attempts to draw fouls led to the injuries he sustained last season.
After all, the most impactful injury he sustained last season was the hamstring issue he dealt with during the playoffs. Lowry seemingly sustained the injury while on defense.
This seems to be the play where Kyle Lowry injured his left hamstring@MiamiHEAT | #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/tLHPEO0iOe
— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) April 23, 2022
Still, one thing that is undeniable is that the Heat would benefit from Lowry playing at a higher and more consistent level this season. It will be fascinating to see if he can accomplish that goal in the coming months.
