In light of star point guard Damian Lillard being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat floor general Kyle Lowry expects to be the team’s starting point guard this season.
Kyle Lowry: “I expect to be the starting point guard”
— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCom) October 3, 2023
However, it sounds like Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra hasn’t yet decided who will be Miami’s starting point guard.
When told Kyle Lowry said he expects to start at PG, Erik Spoelstra remained non-commital and said training camp and preseason will inform his rotation decisions.
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) October 3, 2023
Lowry was selected with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft after spending two seasons playing college basketball at Villanova University. He averaged 11.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals per contest in 33 games played with the Wildcats during his sophomore season, elevating his draft status.
The 37-year-old point guard has played for four teams — the Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies and Heat — across his 17 seasons in the NBA.
Lowry averaged 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in 55 appearances with Miami during the 2022-23 regular season while shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from beyond the arc.
In the playoffs, he averaged 9.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from deep. He came off the bench in 22 of his 23 playoff appearances as the Heat made their memorable run to the NBA Finals.
The floor general is best known for his time as a member of the Raptors franchise. He spent nine seasons of his pro career in Toronto and was an invaluable part of the Raptors team that won the 2019 NBA title.
Arguably Lowry’s best season as a member of the Raptors came during the 2016-17 season. He averaged a career-high 22.4 points per game to go along with 4.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists per contest in 60 games played with Toronto during that regular season.
The veteran’s best days in the NBA may be behind him, but he’s still a six-time All-Star with an impressive overall resume.
Lowry appears to be a leading candidate to get the start at the point guard position for the Heat in the upcoming season, but based on Spoelstra’s comments, it doesn’t seem like that’s set in stone just yet.
