Heat coach Erik Spoelstra explains what Sixers are getting with Kyle Lowry
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers made the move in the buyout market to bring in Kyle Lowry after he was waived by the Charlotte Hornets. Lowry began the season with the Miami Heat before he was moved to Charlotte in January in the Terry Rozier trade.
In his 18th season in the league, Lowry is averaging 8.2 points and 4.0 assists while shooting 38.5% from deep. He will bring his toughness and veteran know-how to Philadelphia and look to help it reach its ultimate goal in his hometown, but the question is whether he has enough left in the tank to do so.
Before the Miami Heat knocked off the Sixers 109-104 on Wednesday, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra gave his thoughts on Lowry and what he brings to Philadelphia.
“He’ll bring a lot of veteran leadership and he still has talent,” said Spoelstra. “I said it when we made the move, I think I said it when we first acquired him, the thing about Kyle is you evaluate him based on how the team does and basically everywhere he’s been for the last decade-plus, he’s been able to impact winning for organizations and he did that for us. The results speak for themselves.”
Lowry made some contributions for the Heat on their run to the finals in 2023. He made big plays in the postseason and did a lot of big things for Miami off the bench, but he is 37 years old. It is fair to wonder if he will be enough to help the Sixers right now.
“We didn’t accomplish our ultimate goal, but there were a lot of playoff wins and he had a big part in all of that, and more than anything, I’m just grateful that I was able to develop that kind of relationship with him,” Spoelstra added. “I really enjoyed our time working together and collaborating. It’ll be a good fit here. He’s back home and working with a coach that he’s very familiar with.”
While Lowry may not be the same All-Star player he used to be, the Heat saw him bring veteran leadership to Miami. Maybe that will be his biggest contribution to Philadelphia.
“Leadership, the competitive toughness…and the playoff experience,” Spoelstra finished. “He’s been able to win in the playoffs. He has a bunch of playoff games under his belt and he knows how to impact winning for sure.”
