{"id":110808,"date":"2024-12-06T13:27:48","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T18:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=110808"},"modified":"2024-12-06T13:27:48","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T18:27:48","slug":"heat-rookie-kelel-ware-gathering-dust-playoff-hopes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/06\/heat-rookie-kelel-ware-gathering-dust-playoff-hopes\/","title":{"rendered":"Heat Rookie Gathering Dust Doesn\u2019t Help Playoff Hopes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who would have thought that the person least impressed with how Miami Heat rookie Kel\u2019el Ware<\/a> looked heading into the season was apparently his head coach?<\/p>\n

Heat Rookie Kel\u2019el Ware Gathering Dust Doesn\u2019t Help Playoff Hopes<\/h2>\n

Erik Spoelstra has earned his reputation as one of the NBA\u2019s elite coaches.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s 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\u2019s no wonder that he expects his players to demonstrate the same work ethic. Heat culture \u00a0doesn\u2019t exist as a standalone entity, it\u2019s an identity curated by Spoelstra\u2019s standards and success.<\/p>\n

None of that changes the fact that he\u2019s taken the wrong tact<\/a> with Ware.<\/p>\n

Ignoring The Answer Key<\/h3>\n

Maybe Spoelstra\u2019s just trying to emulate a West Point drill sergeant, testing the rookie\u2019s mental toughness. Yet, draft classmate Pelle Larsson<\/a> has played more than 3.5 times as many minutes as him. Even the Heat\u2019s center depth doesn\u2019t explain away his tactics.<\/p>\n

Bam Adebayo<\/a> is smack dab in the middle of a cold front. While shooting a career-low 42.9 percent from the field, he\u2019s averaging 15.6 points per game, his lowest mark this decade. Kevin Love<\/a>\u2019s age (36) and injury history are concerning by themselves. Yet, he\u2019s also a defensive weak link who\u2019s struggling to convert inside the arc. Thomas Bryant<\/a>, whose effort leaves a lot to be desired, has been out of the rotation for a month.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n

All the while, their top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft \u2014one who happens to be center \u2014is collecting dust on the bench. Spoelstra\u2019s simply making it harder on the team than it needs to be. It\u2019s like having the answer key to a test and throwing it out the window.<\/p>\n

Ware Would He Learn Best?<\/h3>\n

Ware is now on a G League assignment with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.<\/p>\n

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\u2019t much higher than Summer League and preseason, when Ware looked like he was a potential starter<\/a>. Furthermore, the pace and athleticism in the G League is below that of the NBA. All of that is to say, while it\u2019s a place Ware can learn, it\u2019s not where he would learn best.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s obviously not getting much opportunity there. Meanwhile, he scored 17 points on 14 field goal attempts in his first G League outing.<\/p>\n

\n

Kel’el Ware was a monster \ud83e\uddcc in last night’s win over the Bulls. He was a lid on the rim, not allowing anything easy!<\/p>\n

17 PTS | 12 REB | 2 BLK pic.twitter.com\/mOKOb6hX2A<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Sioux Falls Skyforce (@SFSkyforce) December 6, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n