Kyle Lowry finally made his return from a 15-game absence for the Miami Heat on Saturday night, but he found himself being utilized in a different role than he was typically accustomed to. Lowry ended up coming off the bench for the Heat, with Erik Spoelstra not wanting to disrupt his current starting lineup, and it's safe to say it was a rather surprising decision.

Lowry still played 36 minutes in the game for the Heat, but it's safe to say he wasn't totally onboard with coming off the bench at first. In his mind, Lowry still believes he is a starting caliber player, but after some convincing from Spoelstra, he accepted his new role, saying that Spoelstra's communication helped sell him on his decision.

“At this point, I know in my heart I’m a starter. Spo and I talked and he wants to make sure I’m healthy and not have to change the lineup again and change the rotation. Great communicator he is, great coach he is, I respect [that].” – Kyle Lowry, Miami Herald

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Lowry still figures to have a big role with the Heat, but it was interesting to see him come off the bench here. And while he has put the team ahead of himself, it doesn't seem like a decision that is totally popular with him. In the same vein, though, it shows how good of a coach Spoelstra is that he was able to convince one of his team's veterans to accept such a role. It will be interesting to see if Lowry forces his way back into the starting lineup, but it seems like he's content with the decision, even if he doesn't necessarily agree with it.