Gilbert Arenas Suggests 76ers To Get Rid of NBA Champion Starter In Order To Comeback vs Knicks

Kyle Lowry might not be the same guy that led the Toronto Raptors to their only championship in 2019 anymore. But he certainly has enough gas in his tank to make a difference in a championship team. And that was the reason the Philadelphia 76ers got a hometown player on their side for what could potentially be a last run. The fifth oldest active player in the league, Lowry’s experience in his 18 seasons would be just what a certain Joel Embiid-less team needed.

In Philly’s superstar’s absence, Tyrese Maxey stepped up to fill in Embiid’s big shoes. And he did brilliantly, considering he was awarded the MIP honor. But to support Maxey, the team needed someone with ball-handing skills. Not to mention, a defender to fill the gap of Patrick Beverley and young forward-guard, Jaden Springer. Lowry, in his position, offered both. Despite the perceived advantages, Gilbert Arenas and his crew at the Gil’s Arena podcast believe that the Villanova product should be moved to the bench.

“Kyle Lowry is not your point guard. He’s your shooting guard. So put a real shooting guard in. Kyle Lowry can be the first guard off the bench… I know this is your man, but you gotta pick one (Tyrese or Kyle). I’m sorry,” Gil said.

Rashad McCants went as far as to point out that the 6x All-Star was “old”, and “older guys are not going to be the difference makers when you got these guys out here playing hard”. While it’s true that his numbers don’t particularly jump out at you, he still has a modest stat line.

Kyle Lowry’s stats with the Philadelphia 76ers

In the 23 games that he played for the Sixers, he averaged 8.0 points, 4.6 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.9 steals. We all know getting steals is one of his weaknesses. But that’s not all. Lowry is averaging his second-best three-point percentage at 40.4%.

The highest he’s shot from downtown is during his 2016-17 season with the Raptors at 41.2%. And if that’s not enough, the man started in 2o of the 76ers games. That was another aspect Arenas and his co-hosts mentioned. When Kyle Lowry was bought out from the Charlotte Hornets, he was primarily considered an off-the-bench asset. With the kind of veteran experience he brought, the 38-year-old would be perfect to captain the bench unit. Much like Chris Paul and the Warriors bench.

But with the reigning MVP’s uncertainty in return, the team was pulling all the stops to keep themselves in the game. And the kind of maniacal energy Kyle Lowry brings; when he takes off, he takes off like crazy! But as far as Arenas is concerned, the Sixers need to pick either Maxey or Lowry and stick with it.