Bright spots have been the reason why the Miami Heat are able to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference standings. With huge departures and massive rotation shifts happening throughout the season, they surely needed someone to step up. Erik Spoelstra begged this from all of his players and a rookie responded well.
Kel'el Ware has been such a great partner for Bam Adebayo in the front court. This Heat rookie has held down his own as the team's starting center. His early signs of maturity on both ends of the floor have helped the Heat get out of their 10-game skid and win four straight.
Coach Erik Spoelstra recognizes this and dropped huge praise for Ware, via Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
"I love what he's doing. Number one, he's glass-eating. He has such a knack for rebounding over a crowd. He does rebound in traffic, too. There's a lot of contact down there. He finds a way to come up with it. He's helping our offense in terms of being a connector, a screener," the Heat head honcho said.
Ware has been fielded by an average of 21.6 minutes in his first year. This has gotten him to score 9.1 points and grab 7.1 rebounds a game. Obviously, his role is with the Heat, and Coach Spoelstra will expand entering the NBA Play-In Tournament.
The Heat head coach especially likes the fact that the young gun has shown a specific attribute that will be useful for the Heat in their late-season push for a playoff berth.
"He's showing maturity right now, playing winning basketball, helping our offense excel in the minutes he's on the court. That's notable for a young guy. That's maturity," Spoelstra added.
Will he and Adebayo be the next lethal frontcourt that will ravage the Eastern Conference?
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This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 6:30 AM.