Pelle Larsson on Kel'el Ware: 'You can't really put a ceiling' on him

By now, you’ve probably heard–or perhaps read–about Kel’el Ware’s encouraging Summer League with the Miami Heat.

He made All-Summer League first team, posting 18.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 26.7 minutes across eight combined games. It was a small sample size, and Ware wasn’t perfect (no rookie is), but his play looked very encouraging within the context he was in.

Miami’s second round rookie Pelle Larsson spoke highly about his new teammate in a recent interview with Bally Sports Sun’s Jeremy Tache earlier this week.

“[Kel’el Ware] was a cheat code during Summer League,” Larsson told Bally Sports Sun’s Jeremy Tache on Miami Mic’d Up this week. “You can’t really put a ceiling on a guy like that. Lottery pick with incredible athleticism and length. The sky is the limit, honestly. He does the right things. He doesn’t get in trouble. He works hard, and I think him being put in the system–the same as me–this Heat culture is going to develop him a lot because I think he’s already developed with the coaching in Summer League with where he needs to be on the floor and his positioning.”

“Kel’el was a cheat code…

…you can’t really put a ceiling on a guy like that…

…the sky is the limit.”

Heat rookie Pelle Larsson has glowing praise of his new teammate, Heat first round pick Kel’el Ware 🔥

(via ‘Miami Mic’d Up’ on @BallyHEAT) pic.twitter.com/xMkp8VFvk5

— jeremy chandler taché (@jeremytache) August 9, 2024

Larsson’s on the dot with the coaching improving Ware over the Summer. His semifinal game against Golden State was rough, but Ware was more discipline and was in the right spots more often than not toward the end of Summer League. Offensively, he was helped by Miami’s adept guard play–especially from Zyon Pullin–putting him in proper positions to succeed.

It’s going to take time to fine tune the rest of his game. It won’t happen overnight, nor is it expected or necessary for it to happen that way. Ware still shined at a very high level. You want your best young players to stand out–and the 20-year-old did that as well as anyone for a multi-week sample.

It remains to be seen what Ware’s role looks like entering training camp in October. We can guarantee that assistant coach Malik Allen, Udonis Haslem and Bam Adebayo are going to build him up over time–offering intriguing upside for a former top-10 player in his recruiting class.