With Lowry doubtful, Heat has no traditional point guard. Why they say they’re covered

Playing without a traditional, natural point guard might cause consternation for some NBA teams.

But the Heat, now facing that precise predicament, seems hardly fazed.

Kyle Lowry’s sprained left hand, an injury sustained in the third quarter of Monday’s win against Houston, has left him listed as doutbful for Wednesday’s home game against Oklahoma City, with his status undetermined for the remainder of this four-game homestand.

What’s more, Lowry wasn’t at practice on Tuesday because he’s ill.

The only other natural point guard on the roster, Dru Smith, is out for the season after a November knee injury.

In Lowry’s absence, the Heat has a half dozen or so players that can get Miami into offense: shooting guard Tyler Herro, combo guard Josh Richardson, rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., multi-talented center Bam Adebayo, wing player Caleb Martin (who has missed six games in a row with a sprained ankle), Nikola Jovic and Jimmy Butler, who remains out with a foot injury.

Swing guard R.J. Hampton, on a two-way contract, also is available but missed Monday’s game with an illness.

“We do it by committee,” Adebayo said of the Heat’s plans without a natural point guard. “Tyler has the ball, I have the ball, Jaime, J-Rich. We have guys that can get us into actions. But even though Kyle might be out, he’s still one of those people who sits on the sideline and is vocal. He’s still like our sixth man. He’s constantly watching film, constantly talking to us in the huddle. Even though he’s not out there, he’s still going to be impactful.”

Erik Spoelstra said Tuesday that “we have enough [players] who can get us into offense. Jaime and Niko can get us into offense. When you need it certain nights, when you have guys out, that’s really helpful. When you have everyone available, it helps with the diversity and keeping opponent defenses off balance.”

What’s lost in Lowry’s absence is an effective three-point shooter (43.4 percent this season), a reliable ball-handler and a steadying presence. Lowry is averaging 4.0 assists to 1.5 turnovers, a ratio better than several of the ball-handlers who will replace him: Herro (4.4 to 2.4), Adebayo (3.9 to 2.6), Jaquez (2.7 to 1.7) and Martin (2.3 to 1.4).

Butler, at 4.5 assists to 1.8 turnovers, is comparable to Lowry in that regard. Richardson has the best assist-to-turnover numbers among the Heat’s ball-handlers (3.0 to 0.9), an improvement over his 2.7 to 1.3 career average.

Asked if playing a point guard role feels different to him, Herro said: “Not really. I don’t want to say this the wrong way, but I feel like I’m the point guard when Kyle is in the game, too.

“I dribble the ball just as much when he’s in the game and that’s not an indictment on anybody. That’s just how we play. We have a bunch of ball-handlers and guys that can create. So I wouldn’t just say we have one point guard.”

With Lowry out, Herro spoke of “just trying to manage the game of being aggressive – when to score and when to pass. But honestly, just trying to be aggressive. Whatever the right play is, make the right play. I’m not trying to overthink it.”

MARTIN DOUBTFUL

Like Lowry, Caleb Martin also didn’t attend practice Tuesday because he’s sick. And like Lowry, Martin also is listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s game.

Martin is expected to miss a seventh game in a row with an ankle injury. Injuries have sidelined Martin for 16 of the Heat’s first 36 games.

▪ In the wake of Herro joking that he’s starting a Jovic fan club, Jovic said Tuesday that it makes him “happy to see people enjoy my game. It gets me going, especially seeing young kids.”

Jovic has received a “couple of” pieces of fan mail and saw a person wearing his jersey in the Dec. 30 game in Salt Lake City, which particularly pleased him.

Here’s our Tuesday piece with Butler’s update on his toe injury and a look at Kevin Love’s renaissance.