Miami Heat wing Jimmy Butler jokingly stated that it will take him some time to get used to Kyle Lowry’s playing style. Butler told the media with a smile that Lowry is always looking to push the ball up the floor, which is not always good for him. He prefers to sometimes take a break by standing in the corner.
Although Butler was joking around, the team will face some issues due to the philosophical differences within their styles of play. Lowry is a player that likes to spend a good portion of his minutes in transition.
Let’s take a look at why the Miami Heat should stagger Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry due to the philosophical differences within their styles of play.
Transitions have accounted for 21.4 percent of Lowry’s possessions since 2015, as he is averaging 3.9 per game. Lowry has taken full advantage of those transition possessions by shooting 49.4 percent on 2.7 shots per game.
He has averaged 4.2 points in transition: 22.7 percent of his scoring output. Unfortunately, Butler likes to play at a slower pace as he has only been in transition 13.9 percent of the time since 2015, averaging 2.8 per game.
Butler spends most of his transition possessions in the half-court as he has been in the pick and roll 32.8 percent of the time since 2015, averaging 6.6 possessions per game. Butler has been inefficient in this offensive set, shooting 40.3 percent from the field on 4.8 shots per game. The field goal percentage has helped him average 6 points in the pick and roll, 28.3 percent of his scoring output.
The philosophical differences between players could create a dilemma for the team because if they choose to play in a particular way, one of the players will see a big decline statistically.
For instance, if the team decides to play more up-tempo to accentuate the strengths of Kyle Lowry, it most likely means that Jimmy Butler will be the trail man on some possessions. Being the trail man signifies that Butler will spend more time behind the arc, his biggest area of weakness. Butler has only made 32.5 percent of his threes since 2013 on 2.9 shots per game.
Therefore, his defender won’t have to worry about him in transition. On the other hand, if the team decides to accentuate the strengths of Butler, Lowry will spend the majority of his minutes off the ball, standing behind the three-point line as a floor spacer.
Although Lowry has thrived from behind the arc, making nearly 38 percent of his attempts on seven shots per game since 2013, the team is paying him 26.9 million dollars next season. It is way too big of a salary for him just to be standing behind the arc.
Consequently, the Miami Heat should consider staggering both players, which will allow them to accentuate the strengths of both individuals. For example, Lowry can be taken out at the five-minute mark of the first quarter and be replaced by Max Strus. When Lowry is on the bench, Miami can increase the amount of pick-and-roll possessions they run to spotlight the strengths of Jimmy Butler.
Running more pick and rolls while Lowry is on the bench increases Miami’s likelihood to maximize Butler’s statistical output. When Butler goes to the bench, Lowry can come back into the game with Tyler Herro, and the team can start pushing the pace to maximize Lowry’s effectiveness in transition. In conclusion, the staggering method will allow the team to maximize the strengths of both individuals with minimal sacrifices.