Who would have thought that the person least impressed with how Miami Heat rookie Kel’el Ware looked heading into the season was apparently his head coach?
Heat Rookie Kel’el Ware Gathering Dust Doesn’t Help Playoff Hopes
Erik Spoelstra has earned his reputation as one of the NBA’s elite coaches.
He’s intelligent, innovative, and resilient; all qualities that an organization should want in a leader. His journey from the video room to the sideline is well-documented and it’s no wonder that he expects his players to demonstrate the same work ethic. Heat culture doesn’t exist as a standalone entity, it’s an identity curated by Spoelstra’s standards and success.
None of that changes the fact that he’s taken the wrong tact with Ware.
Ignoring The Answer Key
Maybe Spoelstra’s just trying to emulate a West Point drill sergeant, testing the rookie’s mental toughness. Yet, draft classmate Pelle Larsson has played more than 3.5 times as many minutes as him. Even the Heat’s center depth doesn’t explain away his tactics.
Bam Adebayo is smack dab in the middle of a cold front. While shooting a career-low 42.9 percent from the field, he’s averaging 15.6 points per game, his lowest mark this decade. Kevin Love’s age (36) and injury history are concerning by themselves. Yet, he’s also a defensive weak link who’s struggling to convert inside the arc. Thomas Bryant, whose effort leaves a lot to be desired, has been out of the rotation for a month.
On top of that, the Heat are just 10-10, seventh in a weak Eastern Conference. Their defense has generally played well, but they have clear size-based deficiencies, particularly when it comes to locking down the paint. To that point, Miami ranks 28th in opponents rebounds per game (46.1) and 30th in blocks per game (3.6).
All the while, their top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft —one who happens to be center —is collecting dust on the bench. Spoelstra’s simply making it harder on the team than it needs to be. It’s like having the answer key to a test and throwing it out the window.
Ware Would He Learn Best?
Ware is now on a G League assignment with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
The benefit of having a G League affiliate is helping players get up to speed within the framework of a shared philosophy. Nonetheless, the level of competition in the G League isn’t much higher than Summer League and preseason, when Ware looked like he was a potential starter. Furthermore, the pace and athleticism in the G League is below that of the NBA. All of that is to say, while it’s a place Ware can learn, it’s not where he would learn best.
The most he might get out of his stint with the Skyforce is building rhythm as a scorer. Averaging 2.5 field goal attempts per game with the Heat, he’s obviously not getting much opportunity there. Meanwhile, he scored 17 points on 14 field goal attempts in his first G League outing.
Kel’el Ware was a monster
in last night’s win over the Bulls. He was a lid on the rim, not allowing anything easy!
17 PTS | 12 REB | 2 BLK pic.twitter.com/mOKOb6hX2A
— Sioux Falls Skyforce (@SFSkyforce) December 6, 2024
If the Heat weren’t a middling team, making Wade jump through so many hoops would make more sense. Right now though, Spoelstra just seems like a guy who can’t see the beam in his own eye. Suffice it to say, that’s not the type of vision that will help Miami’s playoff chances.
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