Erik Spoelstra’s decision to bench Kyle Lowry amid the Miami Heat’s mixed run over the last few games wasn’t particularly shocking.
Miami is 5-5 in their last 10 and on a two game losing streak. Something needed to change.
Lowry has been a huge disappointment since coming to the Heat – and this season has been no different.
Even though no explanation was necessary, Spoelstra was still really honest about why he made the call that he ultimately made.
“I’ll do whatever we feel that we have to do in the second half of the season,” he said.
“We are not where we want it to be. That’s not an indictment of one player. Combinations do matter. Rotations do matter. Lineups that bring out the best in each other do matter. And I’m still in the process of trying to help the team figure it out.”
Spoelstra didn’t stop there, though.
“With Jaime [Jaquez Jr.] out, there are some moving parts with this. I’m not going to be just experimenting the second round, this is about winning right now,” Spoelstra said.
“But combinations and lineups do matter and having Kyle kind of anchor that second unit while Jaime is out, I think it’s important. And also, that starting group that can be dynamic. You know, I think this is a small sample size, but we’ll just see, we’ll do whatever we have to do in the second half of the season.”
Lowry, for his part, seems to handling things well.
“Spo wanted to see something different, wanted to have me come off the bench,” he told the Miami Herald. “Hopefully it was a one game thing for me and I can get back in the starting lineup and continue to do what I’ve done this year.”
Russell Wilson Called Out Over Ciara, Vanessa Bryant Photos: https://t.co/KxxU9fdtIv
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Spoelstra has obviously been dealing with some personal issues, but clearly his mind is still right when it comes to hoops.
Benching Lowry was a needed move.
Will Lowry find a way to return to the Heat’s starting lineup at some point before the end of this season? Time will tell.
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A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
