Kyle Lowry #7 of the Miami Heat looks on against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter of a preseason game at Kaseya Center on October 10, 2023 in Miami, Florida.
According to Lowry and Spoelstra, there is no longer a concern about monitoring Lowry’s minutes in the wake of last season’s knee injury. Lowry, 37, averaged more than 33 minutes per game as a starter last season before missing 15 games in February and March.
When he returned, the Heat opted to start Gabe Vincent and bring Lowry off the bench under a minutes restriction. Lowry played about 25 minutes a night in the regular season and playoffs as the Heat made their push to the Finals.
Kyle Lowry has said he expects to start at point guard for the Miami Heat this season. Helping his case is that the team is no longer monitoring his minutes.
But Lowry and Spoelstra said Tuesday that Lowry’s knee is no longer a concern and there’s no need to put a cap on his minutes.
“No maintenance,” Lowry said. “My body feels great.”
Spoelstra agreed.
“He’s healthy,” Spoelstra said. “We will figure out the rotation when we get there. He’s in great shape and a great place.”
Still, the team will have to be cognizant of the wear and tear on Lowry’s body as the season goes on. Lowry entered last season healthy but a heavy workload and early-season injury affected him as the season went on.
“I was hurt early in the season and kept playing and didn’t give myself a fair amount of [time to heal] because I wanted to help my team,” Lowry said. “That kind of hurt me long-term.
“It’s not a sprint,” he said. “It’s a marathon.”
Lowry is the only natural point guard on the roster, with Josh Richardson and two-way contract player Dru Smith also receiving reps at point guard in training camp. Tyler Herro is an option to run the offense when Lowry is on the bench.
Spoelstra has yet to publicly commit to a starting lineup, but he did start Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love in Sunday’s preseason win over the Grizzlies. But Richardson and Caleb Martin — also options for the starting point guard and power forward spots, respectively — were not available for that game.
“I expect to start,” Lowry said when asked if he’s talked with Spoelstra about starting, “like I’ve said throughout camp.”
Richardson said he’s been used exclusively at point guard since training camp began, but that playing point guard for the Heat isn’t “too difficult. It’s quick. Space and pace. It’s not like I’m just walking down calling plays every time.”
Unlike Lowry, Richardson hasn’t made any public claims about his expectations this season. If he starts or comes off the bench, it’s “cool either way,” he said.
