Miami Heat’s head coach, Erik Spoelstra, has made an important decision regarding the starting point guard position, and it involves the removal of any minutes restriction for Kyle Lowry.

 

Following a knee injury that affected Lowry’s playing time last season, both Lowry and Spoelstra have confirmed that there are no longer concerns about monitoring Lowry’s minutes. Despite being 37 years old, Lowry averaged over 33 minutes per game as a starter last season before an injury sidelined him for 15 games in February and March. Upon his return, the Heat chose to bring him off the bench under a minutes restriction, limiting him to about 25 minutes per night in both regular-season and playoff games, even as they advanced to the Finals.

 

Looking ahead to the new season, Kyle Lowry expects to resume his role as the starting point guard for the Miami Heat. One significant factor working in his favor is that the team no longer deems it necessary to impose a cap on his playing time.

Lowry expressed his physical well-being, stating, “No maintenance. My body feels great.”

Erik Spoelstra concurred with this assessment, adding, “He’s healthy. We will figure out the rotation when we get there. He’s in great shape and a great place.”

 

Nonetheless, the team will remain mindful of the toll on Lowry’s body as the season progresses. Last season, Lowry began in good health, but the combination of an extensive workload and an early-season injury took its toll on his overall performance.

 

Reflecting on his experiences, Lowry acknowledged, “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. That kind of hurt me long-term.”

He emphasized the importance of pacing, noting, “It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon.”