No Joy

This is from the Toronto Star:

Hanging around the Miami Heat for a few days and it’s clear no one is quite sure what’s up with Kyle Lowry.

He’s had more blah games than good ones to start the season, the Heat don’t look offensively sharp, they don’t guard particularly well, and Dr. Lowry just doesn’t look himself.

Yes, there are off-court issues that are still weighing on his mind but the weird part is that he doesn’t seem to be getting much joy out of playing the game. One fellow who knows the Heat inside and out says he thinks the last time he saw Lowry smile on a basketball court was in Toronto last season. He didn’t look like himself in either of the Raptors’ games in Miami.

It can’t be easy being on the Heat and all the talk about “culture” has to wear thin. It’s not a fun-loving bunch and stern head coach Erik Spoelstra does not embody much fun or create a relaxed atmosphere.

I remember talking to Lowry and people close to him when he finally moved on from the Raptors and got to pick where he would go. He envisioned a lot of golf (he plays a ton now), a good team atmosphere (I can’t say that was evident last weekend) and a fine end to what could be a Hall of Fame career. He’s not getting that and I’m sure it’s eating at him a little bit.

…Maybe Lowry is just destined to play out his dotage in a city he chose under circumstances he couldn’t have seen coming.

And if that’s the case, that’s too bad. He’s earned better.