At the start of this season, rookie center Kel’el Ware and rookie guard Pelle Larsson were not rotation regulars for the Miami Heat. By the end of this season, Ware and Larsson were logging extended minutes in the playoffs.
There were a lot of things that went wrong for the Heat amid its first losing regular season since 2018-19, but the growth and development of Ware and Larsson were among the things that trended in the right direction for the Heat this season.
While the Heat was swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Ware started and played double-digit minutes in each of his first four NBA playoff games and Larsson played double-digit minutes off the bench in three of his first four NBA playoff games.
“There’s just not a lot of guys from this draft class that played in the playoffs,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said on exit interview day in late April. “Kel’el and Pelle got that experience, and got it in a hard way. These are tough lessons, as they usually are in a playoff setting. If you’re not advancing, it’s usually a tough lesson. And I’m grateful that Kel’el was able to get all of these experiences and set up for a really important summer.”
It will be an important summer for Ware and Larsson, as more will be expected from them in their second NBA seasons.
Ware, who was selected by the Heat with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, logged double-digit minutes in just two of the Heat’s first 25 games this season before earning consistent minutes and then being promoted to a starting role in January. The 7-foot Ware started next to the 6-foot-9 Bam Adebayo to form a double-big lineup for the final three months of the regular season.
After being moved into a full-time starting role, Ware averaged 10.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 54.4% from the field and 21 of 76 (27.6%) on threes during his final 38 regular-season appearances this season. That midseason push was enough for Ware to earn a spot on the NBA All-Rookie second team and place sixth in the NBA’s Rookie of the Year voting.
“I feel like I got better,” Ware, 21, said of his rookie season. “Of course when I wasn’t playing at first, I was in the gym every day and working out every day. And when my time came, it came.”
Larsson, who was taken by the Heat with the 44th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, began the season out of the Heat’s rotation before earning more playing time off the bench as the year went on. He logged double-digit minutes in each of the final six regular-season games he was available for before missing the last three games of the regular season because of a sprained ankle.
With Spoelstra labeling Larsson as an “elite role player” even before his rookie season began, he showed why Spoelstra put that tag on him when he did get playing time. Larsson’s hustle, pesky defense and cutting ability immediately stood out, averaging 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game while shooting 44% from the field and 36.8% on threes during his final six regular-season appearances.
“I think going into the season, I really had no expectations,” Larsson 24, said, reflecting on his first NBA season. “I kind of just went in with an open mind-set. And I got into some good rhythm, had some injuries that kind of set me back a few times and tried to regain that rhythm. But I think just having a year under my belt kind of just helps me calm down a little bit and realize what’s more important than other things, and that’s what I can focus my work on.”
Then came the playoff lessons for Ware and Larsson, and they were painful. The Cavaliers outscored the Heat by 122 points in the four-game first-round sweep for the most lopsided playoff series in NBA history.
While starting all four playoff games, Ware struggled against the Cavaliers’ starting frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Ware totaled just 19 points, 19 rebounds and two blocks in 73 minutes over the four games, and struggled to defend the Cavaliers’ pick-and-roll attack.
“Just learning how the game was played,” Ware said of what he took away from his first NBA postseason experience. “It’s different from the regular season. Even the play-in games are different. So I would say now I have the experience of that. So just knowing what it is and how it will be next time.”
After playing only one minute in Game 1, Larsson played double-digit minutes off the bench in the final three games of the series. But Larsson also struggled to make a positive impact, as the Heat was outscored by 52.3 points per 100 possessions in his minutes during the first round of the playoffs.
“I think how much higher of a level the playoffs are compared to the regular season,” Larsson said of his playoff takeaway. “There’s no secret, the refs are completely different and the playoffs are a completely different job for them and they’re looking at different stuff. So I think it changes the game a little bit and makes it for sure way more physical and way more competitive. It was really, really fun to have that experience.”
Now, Ware and Larsson enter what they hope will be an offseason of growth.
Ware wants to continue to add muscle to his frame this summer after entering the NBA at 230 pounds.
“I’m going to still say getting stronger, I’m going to say that,” Ware said of his goal this offseason. “I was getting stronger before the season started and I’m still getting stronger. Until I get to that point, it’s going to continue to be getting stronger.”
Larsson wants to become a more reliable three-point shooter, improve as a playmaker and continue to develop as a defender this summer.
“I think shooting is always something that you can get better at all the time,” Larsson said. “It never hurts to be a better shooter in this league. So I’ll definitely keep working on that and then be more comfortable with the ball in my hands in making decisions and making plays for others. I think that’s something we could have needed more of this year. So just making plays for others and keep defending at a higher level. I kind of got introduced to how it was to defend these top-level guys and I think I learned a lot from that this year.”
Most importantly, Ware and Larsson both earned Spoelstra’s trust to play meaningful minutes as rookies this season.
“I know I can do it,” Ware said. “It’s just going out there and having the confidence and just knowing that Spo has that trust in you to trust me to go out there and do it.”
Miami Herald
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Anthony Chiang covers the Miami Heat for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and was born and raised in Miami.