One of my biggest questions ahead of training camp, which begins on Tuesday, was how the rookies would fare in their first extended time together outside of Summer League.
We won’t know until time elapses, but what we do know is that Bam Adebayo has already seen growth from rookie Kel’el Ware over the last three months since Ware was drafted.
“I’ve seen [Kel’el Ware] grow from the time he got drafted until now. It’s a good sign that he’s growing already,” Adebayo said during his Media Day session on Monday. “It’s a good sign he’s growing already.”
Adebayo joked that he hopes Ware can get playing time as a rookie because he said during his rookie year, head coach Erik Spoelstra did not play him.
“Hopefully he gets playing time and earn that in training camp,” Adebayo concluded.
The Heat have not had a 7-foot big to potentially play alongside Adebayo since Meyers Leonard, a floor spacer who complemented Adebayo’s offensive game, at the time. There’s no telling whether or not he and Ware will get the same opportunity during Ware’s rookie season.
Ware, drafted No. 15 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, was one of the best players across the NBA during Summer League, averaging 18.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks across eight combined contests.
There’s no question he has the requisite tools to be a successful NBA player, but he wasn’t an efficient 3-point shooter (3-of-15) nor a consistently good drop defender. No player is perfect and will always need little things to improve upon, but the latter will specifically drive Spoelstra mad if that bleeds on the court.
Miami also brought back Kevin Love and Thomas Bryant–not necessarily to start next to their All-Star big, but to alleviate Adebayo in the chance that Ware struggles off the bench as a rookie. Regardless, reps are the most crucial part for a player’s development, so getting reps behind the scenes will be of the utmost importance for Ware during his first training camp and entering the new season.
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Miami Heat media day survey: Most surprising revelations ahead of new seasonTyler Herro and Bam Adebayo are making changes and Erik Spoelstra dropped another classic. (FANSIDED)
https://allucanheat.com/posts/miami-heat-media-day-survey-most-surprising-revelations-ahead-of-new-season?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&utm_source=FanSided+Daily&utm_medium=email&sc=e0273490fd355e2c28bdb25751d41af65a4dd80936ff00a80be9866c97887955
NBA: Power ranking the 30 projected starting power forwards on each team (Fansided)
#28. Nikola Jovic, Miami HeatUntil the Miami Heat is able to find a long-term answer at the center position, they’re going to continue to roll out Bam Adebayo as the starting center. While there’s hope that Kel’el Ware could be the answer for the team, to start the season it does appear as if Nikola Jovic is going to get the starting nod at the power forward position. As he prepares for his third season with the Heat, Jovic is coming off a sophomore season in which he started 38 of the 46 games played. If the team picks up where they left off, you’d imagine Jovic is going to start at the 4 once again.
The hope is that Jovic will be able to take a step forward in his development as he’s continue to show signs of real promise on the offensive end of the floor. As one of the more versatile young power forwards in the league, Jovic has the potential to be a playmaker for the team at the position.
He’s still trying to find his rhythm as an NBA player but the Heat has every reason to believe that this year will be his best to date. Getting some Olympic experience this past summer should propel him to start the season running.
Interesting article on Miami’s power forward options. Jovic, Jaquez or Highsmith. Time will tell.
https://allucanheat.com/posts/options-miami-heat-power-forward-bam-adebayo?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&utm_source=FanSided+Daily&utm_medium=email&sc=e0273490fd355e2c28bdb25751d41af65a4dd80936ff00a80be9866c97887955
There’s no doubt that Niko should be the starting pf imo.
Dude has earned that spot.
The Bam, Niko C/PF combination had the highest net rating among any C/PF combination the Heat has ever had during the Jimmy Butler era.
They had a higher net rating than Bam/Leonard, Bam/KO, Bam/Crowder, Bam/Ariza, Bam/PJ and Bam/Caleb.
So yes, my guy Niko should definitely be considered the number one option for that position.
I see Jaquez as the dark horse for starting PF. Again, I see Bam at PF and Ware as C by or soon after the trade deadline.
‘I see Jaquez as the dark horse for starting PF. Again, I see Bam at PF and Ware as C by or soon after the trade deadline.’
This could be true but based on last season I would expect Niko to be the current front runner to begin the season.
Playing for a max contract extension makes all the difference in the world. No time for B.S. As goes Butler, so goes the Heat. Can’t wait for first preseason game next Tuesday (10/8) vs Charlotte.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1lj2mkrm2c
I think a few of us are underestimating how good Jovic has become. Unless Ware is Rookie of the Year level good, Jovic will be starting in the frontcourt next to Bam
I think it is a little early to concede anything to Jovic. 7.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg and 2.0 apg in 19.5 mpg won’t cut it this season. He has to do better than Kevin Love’s 8.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg and 2.1 apg in only 16.8 mpg to start with.
2025-2026 is a team option year for him. He could potentially be retained, extended, traded or released, depending on his 2024-2025 performance.
Agree, he should be better then last year.
not sure if kuzmas avail sun but hes a major upgrade at pf.i have seen nothing in jovic where i can say hed be a solid player.a 6 10 guy whos plays like a guard.no power game in him.shoots lots of 3s cant get to the hoop.his d is not bad.that position needs a better player.
I think Jovic is a placeholder until Bam slides over to PF and Ware starts at C. Second unit options would include: Richardson, Robinson, Highsmith, Jaquez, Jovic, Love, Bryant, Burks and Pelle…not to mention the up-and-coming two-way and G League youngsters.
Frontcourt of Bam and Jovic works relatively well last year, better then other options Heat had, because Niko played better defence. If he can add something on the other side of the court too, then this starting frontcourt stays.
But backup center job is there to grab, and candidates are Love, Bryant and Ware. There is a place for Ware to get 10 minutes at C with Bam playing PF a game.
r u serbian?
French Canadian…’eh’
An alien basically.
Extraterrestrial or undocumented?
Unknown species, so we don’t know.
Excellent answer to this bogus issue we hear periodically:
”Q: The Heat failed Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. They couldn’t add enough talent, but clearly other teams can. – Nick.
A: This is a tired and lazy narrative. When it comes to Jimmy Butler, the Heat basically allowed him to make an $85 million decision with that three-year free-agency offer they extended to Kyle Lowry in the 2021 offseason. In that regard, they placated. As for Bam Adebayo, what they have done is add young talent that can grow with Bam, players such as Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic and Kel’el Ware. Further, they assuredly didn’t fail Jimmy when they gave him his four-year, $184 million deal in 2021, and they didn’t fail Bam with this summer’s three-year, $166 million extension. In a salary-cap/luxury-tax league, each dollar taken is a dollar not spent elsewhere.”
I’m going to take the middle ground. I think it’s possible that Ware will not start many, if any, games this season, unless he so totally balls out and hits 3s, that there is no choice. However, I don’t think Ware will be benched (ie – no rotation minutes) by the all star game or later.
Seems to me that Ware emerging as a starter is about our best chance to compete this year. Yes, I know he will take some time to reach his potential if he is going to become a very good to great player. But, if he could become a solid piece of the starting rotation, we would have chance in Jimmy’s last hurrah.
BeWare… Heat’s rooks and gleaguers are gonna surprise everyone again.
Totally agree!
Ware will be fine. If he follows the Lively timeline during the season, Miami should be in good shape by the playoffs. I have a feeling that with Bam’s guidance, he will develop even faster.
I expect him to follow something like the JJJ or Jovic timeline. I think he’ll get some good run before the all-star break, but start to fade towards the end of the season and be a bench player by the all-star break. That’s all-right, he’s not even old enough to get into a Miami bar. He’ll get there