Kel’el Ware continues to post impressive numbers in the preseason, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra continues to push him to expand his game to do more things that impact winning, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Ware’s latest impressive performance came Sunday night with 24 points, 10 rebounds, an assist and two steals in 25 minutes in a loss to Orlando.
“I would much rather coach somebody who’s willing to be coached, who can put up 24 (points) and 10 (rebounds), and figure out how to get those winning moments during the course of a game,” Spoelstra said. “That’s where we are.”
Spoelstra called out Ware during Summer League, citing a need to improve his “professionalism,” and has continued to set a high standard for the second-year center since training camp began. Ware told reporters that he tries to take inspiration from Spoelstra’s critiques.
“I always take anything that the coach says to me as motivation,” Ware said. “I take it and I try to impact it into my game, and I try to play as hard as I can. Like I said in the last interview, I was still getting my legs back under me from training camp.”
Ware exceeded expectations as a rookie and became a starter alongside Bam Adebayo as the season wore on. Spoelstra said “all things are on the table” regarding his starting lineup, but Chiang notes that Ware was used off the bench in the first three preseason games and only started on Sunday because Adebayo was being rested on the first night of a back-to-back.
There’s more from Miami:
- Kasparas Jakucionis left Sunday’s game in the first quarter with soreness in his right hip, Chiang adds in the same piece. The rookie guard missed the first two preseason contests because of a sprained left wrist before playing on Wednesday. “It is a little frustration,” he said. “But these things I can’t control. So I’m just trying to control what I can control and do my thing.”
- In a separate story, Adebayo talks to Chiang about the experience of supporting girlfriend A’ja Wilson as she led Las Vegas to the WNBA title. Adebayo practiced with the Heat on Friday, flew to Phoenix to watch the Aces clinch the championship that night, then returned to Miami in time for Saturday afternoon’s practice.
- Davion Mitchell made his preseason debut on Sunday after sitting out three games with calf soreness, per Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. Mitchell, who re-signed with Miami on a two-year, $24MM deal this summer, only played in the first half and finished with two points and two assists in 10 minutes. “Preseason is kind of when you get your rhythm,” he said. “Especially with our new offense, kind of learn how to play the new offense. But for me, it’s just kind of just trying to find my rhythm. But I’ll figure that out in the next couple days.”