Several times injured and not at his best, Kyle Lowry did not live the dream scenario for his first season in Miami. While some voices were raised talking regarding the Heat player’s weight issues, former All-Star Tim Hardaway came out to defend the pocket point guard.
13.4 points, 7.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 44% shooting including 37.7% from afar. If we just look at the stats, Kyle Lowry’s first year on the South Beach side is nothing catastrophic. However, the leader still comes out of his worst statistical season for almost nine years! While still shooting 17/7 last year in Toronto, the 35-year-old saw his production drop a notch. If Lowry was able to save the furniture during the regular, his contribution in the Playoffs was particularly disappointing. Sometimes injured, sometimes next to his pumps, the All-Star did not respond when he had been recruited to help Miami take a step forward in the postseason. A disappointment for the Heat and Pat Riley, who did not hesitate to point out the physical condition of his player during the end-of-season press conference.
“To be able to give your best, you have to be in optimal physical condition. When you get older, it’s harder to stay in shape compared to when you’re younger, where you can afford more things. […] He’s going to have to fix this. I think he really can be in better shape. »
Kyle Lowry and the extra pounds, it’s a song we’ve heard several times in the past and it’s not the first time that the leader has been targeted in relation to his eating habits and his ability to fill his shorts a bit too much. Return of Kyle Lowry in Calorie mode then? For Tim Hardaway, it’s no. According to the former All-Star, who also passed through Miami (between 1996 and 2001), Lowry’s weight is not a problem. Comments reported by Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
“I want it written down. Kyle Lowry is not fat. He is not fat or overweight. He wears US football protectors to pretend he’s taller. It’s much thinner than you think. I’ve been telling people this for a very long time. And everyone says to me, “No, he’s overweight.” No, the guy is not overweight. He just needs to stay healthy to keep fit. »
If some believe that Lowry’s recent injuries might be related to a history of weight, this is not the case for Hardaway. The latter even has his own idea regarding these famous sores. Spoiler, this is also a small spade addressed to Lowry.
“He needs to stop falling. That’s why he gets hurt. And I’m going to say this, I love Kyle. Kyle Lowry, I love what he does on the court. I just wish he would stop flopping. I think it should be done at a minimum. You keep falling on the ground, you keep on falling on the ground, you keep on falling on the ground, yes, you will get hurt, yes it will take you out of the rotation. I think that’s what really hurt him, flopping and falling all the time. Stop falling all the time. »
Well known for his ability to force passages, Kyle Lowry also has a well-established reputation as a “flopper”. Simulating or overselling a contact to force the men in gray to penalize the opposing striker is a weapon that Lowry likes to use each season and he is still among the leaders in the category of forced passages provoked. Does often finishing the butt on the ground increase Lowry’s chances of injury? Hard to really comment on this but it is clear that the physical condition of the man will be carefully monitored by the management of the Heat next season. It must be said that a lackluster season when we weigh nearly 28 million on finances, it shows a tad more.
Kyle Lowry too injured because of his weight? It’s no for Tim Hardaway, who rather targets the repeated flops of the leader to explain his multiple visits to the infirmary. Not sure that Pat Riley validates this theory.
Source texte : Sun Sentinel / Ira Winderman
