Miami Heat point guard Kyle Lowry reportedly is expected to miss the remainder of the team’s games in February and “likely some time beyond that” with a knee injury.
“What is the Heat’s plan for point guard Kyle Lowry when/if he returns from his ongoing left knee issue this season?” the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang wrote. “Lowry, who was made available in trade talks ahead of the deadline, is expected to miss the remaining games in February and likely some time beyond that, although the situation continues to be fluid.”
This is a tough scenario for Miami, as the team will have to rely on Gabe Vincent to handle the point guard duties until Lowry is able to return. The Heat could also explore the buyout market to try to add some guard depth to the roster.
Lowry has missed the team’s last four games with the left knee issue. It seems that his timetable is yet to be determined, but it’s not a good sign that he’s already been ruled out for multiple weeks.
The veteran guard is averaging 12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 39.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range in the 2022-23 campaign. Lowry is shooting his worst percentage from beyond the arc since the 2009-10 season when he was with the Houston Rockets.
For Vincent, this is a huge chance for him to step up into a bigger role. The young guard has started several games over the past two seasons for Miami, and he’s thrived in nine starts this season, averaging 15.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
With the Heat fighting for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference, every game is critical down the stretch of the 2022-23 season. Miami is currently the No. 6 seed in the East, but the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks are both pushing the Heat for that spot.
Lowry missed time with an injury during Miami’s playoff run last season, so the team does know how to play without him.
However, the Heat are surely hoping that the veteran guard can at least be healthy for the stretch run to take some pressure off Vincent, Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler as the team’s primary ball-handlers.
The Heat have five games remaining in the month of February that Lowry will miss, starting with Monday’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets.