Kyle Lowry Ruled Out vs. Heat with Back Injury

Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry has been ruled out of Wednesday's game against the Miami Heat, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.

Lowry has been dealing with a thigh contusion and back spams, per Michael Gallagher of Rotoworld, which caused him to miss four games in the past couple of weeks. He returned for Saturday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers and played 31 minutes but apparently has suffered a setback.

His current timetable is unknown.

Thanks to the addition of Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors have used Lowry in a different role this season. His scoring has dropped to 14.4 points per contest—his lowest in a season since 2012-13—but he's averaging a career-high 9.8 assists each game. 

Toronto has been able to thrive with Lowry in more of a distributor role. The defending Atlantic Division champions have the NBA's best record at 25-10. 

While Lowry's absence does leave a significant void at point guard, the Raptors are well equipped to play at a high level without their star. Fred VanVleet has established himself as an essential role player over the past two seasons. He's averaging a career-high 10.0 points and 4.4 assists per game. 

The Raptors boast one of the deepest rosters in the NBA. That depth affords them the opportunity to let Lowry get as much rest as he needs to return at 100 percent.