While both have played six minutes apiece, the Miami Heat have yet to give their rookies–Kel’el Ware and Pelle Larsson–serious run through three games to begin the 2024-25 regular season. While that was to be expected, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra offered encouraging updates regarding their two 2024 draftees’ development ahead of Wednesday’s game against the New York Knicks.
“Yesterday was a terrific day for both of them (at practice),” he said during his pregame press conference. “Of course, we worked them hard. But they played well. They’re making progress–that’s what we’ve told them. We’re going to commit every single day to their improvement and they’re committed to that process–understanding the big picture. And that big picture could also be at any time.”
In all fairness, there haven’t been many situations to show their rookies outside of Miami’s season opener against the Orlando Magic, when both saw their only action. The Heat have won eight points in their last two contests against the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons, respectively, where Spoelstra’s gone 9-10 deep with tough decisions to make.
Ware, drafted No. 15 overall, hasn’t quite passed Thomas Bryant in the pecking order as the team’s primary backup big in Kevin Love’s absence. Larsson, arguably a more NBA-ready player currently, has an even steeper climb to earn consistent minutes–having to pass Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith, Duncan Robinson or veteran guard Alec Burks, whose role has fluctuated through the team’s first three games.
Right now, there’s no telling Spoelstra’s going to throw them in the fire. Consistency day in and day out is incredibly key for both–especially Ware, given the physical nature bigs endure. Spoelstra has a good problem at his hands with the wing depth, even though he’s already called Larsson a “plug and play”-type player. He’s still tinkering with different combinations off the bench, so it’s important that both stay ready so they don’t have to get ready, to quote the legendary Udonis Haslem.
The Sioux Falls Skyforce opener is on Nov. 12, so who knows whether or not either player–in addition to Dru Smith, Josh Christopher and Keshad Johnson, the team’s two-ways–will get meaningful spot reps down there. Nikola Jovic did, so it wouldn’t be impossible for either one of them, if not both, too.
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