At the start of the 2022-23 season, I wrote that Kyle Lowry's return to All-Star form was the biggest unknown in the Eastern Conference and that it could shape the Heat's season.
Lowry didn't come close to being an All-Star, and yet he still may have saved Miami's season.
While the Heat traded for Lowry with the hopes of him being a third option next to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, he transitioned to a bench role late in the regular season. The move has paid off better than anyone could've expected and could give the Heat the edge they need to make it back to the Finals.
MORE: Why Davis vs. Jokic matchup will decide Western Conference Finals
How Kyle Lowry saved the Heat's season
Lowry started in the first 44 games he appeared in this season. He then missed 15 straight games with left knee soreness and came off the bench in his return from injury.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said he decided to move Lowry to the second unit to "protect him" and keep him ready for the playoffs, which were a month away at that point. He initially planned to move Lowry back into the starting lineup closer to the end of the regular season, but he ultimately decided to stick with it.
Why? Bringing Lowry off the bench solved one of the Heat's greatest weaknesses.
Prior to Lowry's first game as a reserve, Miami's bench ranked 27th out of 30 teams in points per game and 26th in net rating (the difference between a team's offensive and defensive rating). Over the 11 games, Lowry came off the bench, the second unit jumped to eighth in scoring and fourth in net rating.
Lowry continues to quarterback Miami's second unit in the playoffs, even after the Heat lost starting shooting guard Tyler Herro to an injury in the first round. The Heat's bench has been even more dominant through the first two rounds relative to other teams, ranking third in scoring and first in net rating.
“One of the things we’ve found is you’re bringing a Hall-of-Fame mind off the bench,” Spoelstra said. “Our second unit was struggling for much of the year. Shift him (to the bench) and a lot of the things we were working on endlessly just kind of get taken care of. … He is an ultimate winner. What drives him more than anything is winning.”
| Stat | Regular season with Lowry starting | Regular season with Lowry as reserve | 2023 NBA Playoffs |
| Points per game | 27.8 | 38.9 | 34.4 |
| Net rating | -2.0 | 3.6 | 5.1 |
Lowry's own play has improved as well. He averaged more points, rebounds and assists in the games he started, but he's been far more efficient as a reserve.
| Stat | Regular season as starter | Regular season as reserve | 2023 NBA Playoffs |
| Minutes per game | 33.3 | 23.1 | 25.5 |
| Points per game | 12.0 | 7.9 | 10.1 |
| Assists per game | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Rebounds per game | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| Field goal percentage | 39.6 | 46.6 | 44.2 |
| 3-point percentage | 33.3 | 42.5 | 35.7 |
| Free throw percentage | 85.5 | 88.9 | 90.9 |
Who has replaced Kyle Lowry in the Heat's starting lineup?
Lowry's injury bumped Gabe Vincent into the Heat's starting lineup.
It's not like Vincent has set the world on fire, but he's established himself as a solid two-way player. He averaged 10.8 points, 2.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game on .430/.356/.902 as a starter in the regular season. Through 11 games in the playoffs, he's averaging 11.5 points, 4.8 assists and 1.5 rebounds, though he hasn't been as efficient of a scorer.
Vincent closed Miami's first-round upset over Milwaukee with 22 points. He then opened the Heat's second-round series with the Knicks with back-to-back 20-point games.
Vincent is now expected to have a "significant market" as a free agent in the offseason.
Why Kyle Lowry is the biggest X-Factor vs. Celtics in Conference Finals
The Heat and Celtics are the Eastern Conference Finalists for the second straight season.
In 2022, the Celtics outlasted the Heat in seven games. Boston's bench was a slight positive in the series while Miami's was a slight negative, and Lowry struggled in the five games he started. The injury that cost Lowry two games to start the series could've had a lot to do with his play, but he enters this series in a much better place.
If Lowry can continue his strong play off the bench, it could be the difference Miami needs to take down Boston.
