3 things we've learned about the Miami Heat from their first two preseason games in 2021-22
Make it two wins out of two for the Miami Heat. A few nights after they convincingly beat the Atlanta Hawks 125-99 at the FTX Arena in Miami, the Heat won their second preseason game, beating the Houston Rockets 113-106, on the road on Thursday night.
Although the final score for the Rockets game looks close, the Heat led by as many as 21 points at the end of the third quarter before Houston managed to make the final score look respectable.
The Miami Heat are heading into the 2021-22 NBA season with a lot of excitement and anticipation about them. They made it to the 2020 NBA Finals, but had a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. The Heat were swept aside in four games in that series.
But with the acquisition of Kyle Lowry, PJ Tucker and Markieff Morris, three players who have each been a part of the NBA title-winning team since 2019, the Heat look like a recharged outfit. They already have the veteran presence of Jimmy Butler in their locker room. There are a lot of young talents in the mix, including Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. Two-time All-Star and 2018 NBA Most Improved Player winner Victor Oladipo is also expected to return from injury soon.
With all that talent at their disposal, the Miami Heat would be a dangerous opponent for any team in the league, something they have strongly hinted at in their opening two preseason games. With that context, we pick up three things Miami have clearly showcased in these first two outings before the 2021-22 NBA season begins:
#1 Kyle Lowry is proving to be the real deal for the Miami heat
Lowry was a great pickup in the offseason for the Heat. Lowry is a six-time All-Star, 2019 NBA champ with the Toronto Raptors and a very efficient two-way player. He is among the best at drawing charges in the league and shot nearly 40.0% from downtown last season for his former team, the Toronto Raptors.
Lowry has shown his chops in the two preseason games for the Miami Heat. Although he has played only a combined 33 minutes in both games, Lowry has dished out 17 assists cumulatively in the two appearances. Against the Rockets on Thursday night, Lowry was particularly devastating as he provided 10 assists while also making four steals.
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That's precisely why the Heat added him to their roster. Last season, the Heat had Goran Dragic mostly coming off the bench, which meant that Jimmy Butler was doing the bulk of the ball-handling. With Lowry now playing as a starter, Butler will be relieved of a lot of the playmaking responsibilities and can concentrate more on his scoring game.