While consistency — or lack thereof — troubled Kel’el Ware throughout his rookie season, he undoubtedly showed plenty of flashes last season with the Miami Heat.
The former No. 15 overall pick averaged 9.3 points and 7.4 rebounds on 55.4 percent shooting and 60.3 percent true shooting.
After an uneven Summer League, an anonymous Heat executive recently opined to Spotrac’s Keith Smith that this upcoming season will be “big” for him and his development.
“Big, big year coming for him. He’s another guy who won’t settle for anything other than being great,” a Heat front office executive said. “We’re looking forward to watching the leap he’s going to take as a second-year guy. Perfect fit with Bam (Adebayo) in our versatile frontcourt. Couldn’t be happier with how he’s coming along.”
The 2025-26 season will be big for Kel’el Ware:
I would disagree with the executive that he was or will be a “perfect” fit with Adebayo.
He started 36 games alongside the Heat’s three-time All-Star, and over his final 20 games, he averaged 10.6 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
The on-court fit alongside the Heat’s three-time All-Star wasn’t perfect — in fact, the spacing was clunky far more often than not. He did help ease pressure off Adebayo. However, the two still occupied the same spaces more often than you’d like, and they were still a middling offense despite grading in the 91st percentile in effective field goal percentage and 98th percentile in 3-point percentage, according to Cleaning The Glass.
Correlation doesn’t equal causation, but there’s merit to how well they fit — or don’t fit — together on the court.
All that said, this year is big for Ware. First of all, the Heat don’t have any backup big; Vlad Goldin, while he was good in the Heat’s final Summer League game, isn’t quite ready, and there’s no shame in that.
I think they should kick the tires on Richaun Holmes, though I am not anticipating them to go deeper into the tax before they get out of it. You’d be hard-pressed to find another playable backup big option in free agency.
Thus, I am expecting Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra to stagger him and Adebayo as much as humanly possible. In fact, I think there’s a world where Ware doesn’t start for that very reason — but we’ll see what the roster looks like come October.
He was also objectively underwhelming in Summer League. He finished strong, but he was still below average as a(n offensive) rebounder, rim deterrent and screener. He took what Erik Spoelstra said as a challenge — and succeeded — but he will need to be far more consistent than he was over the last six months.
There’s no doubt that the talent is there. His ceiling is sky high if he can consistently put it all together, and he’s going to need to for the Heat to have success in 2025-26.
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Well, Pogacar won his 4th tour de France at the age of 26.
The next sport event,
Euro, is a month away, NBA 3 moths away.
What now?
Congratulations! It’s just crazy what he is capable of. Anyway, it amazes me, how can such a small country have so much success in sports.
Not much happening in the world of sports until the Eurobasket. I guess it’s a good time to enjoy the summer. Because of the school holidays, my 7 year old son keeps me pretty busy these days, we do a lot of sports activities, hiking, mountain biking and a lot more. Not much time time left to watch sports anyway.
Yes, he is a real monster. Maybe the GOAT in cycling.
I wonder what Peter Sagan is doing those days. He was something special too.
7 year old kids keeps you occupied, I know that very well. But my kids are grown up, and sometimes I prefer to watch others to sport then doing it by myself.
Well, he is certainly on track to become the GOAT. Already is among the best and he is only 26.
Peter Sagan was on the local version of Dancing with the stars, lol. He is enjoying his retirement, I guess. He too has his records that will be hard to brake.
I used to watch a lot of sports in the past before the pandemics. Since then it’s mostly the Heat, the Olympic games and not much else. But I still at least check the results 🙂
Only cycling and basketball… very rarely something else.
s/b pogabike
I think I just found a 7 footer to rotate with Bam and Ware. He was just re-signed to a two-way contract by Wizards on July 10, 2025. I wonder what ir would take to get him?
Tristan Vukcevic appeared in 35 games (one start) with the Wizards during the 2024-25 season, averaging 9.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He shot .496 from the field and .373 from three, topping 10-plus points 15 times and 20-plus points twice. Vukcevic scored a career-high 28 points (9-12 FG, 4-6 3PT), adding a career-best 11 rebounds, five assists and one block for his first career double-double in the season finale on April 13 at Miami.
In 2023-24, Vukcevic joined the Wizards on March 14, after spending the beginning of the season with KK Partizan Belgrade of the Adriatic League (Liga ABA). The Wizards originally selected Vukcevic with the 42nd overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.
https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4997537/tristan-vukcevic
Um.. not another one….
ill take senior
Senior moment? Dude’s name is Vukcevic not Vucevic.
ill take the older v oladipo
Can he rebound and play interior defense? If not, he won’t help much. Miami is already up to it’s a** in guards.
i like goldin saw him play at fau.he will be backup center
He’ll do as a sub until Miami gets a legit two-way 3rd big (PF/C).
Good thing I know you’re not hypercritical in the rest of your life. Are you saying Goldin is, not a project, but only good enough to be a short time sub? Something harsh like that might hurt his feelings.
I’m just screwing around here, and I do appreciate getting your honest impressions about players as you are very knowledgeable. I am glad you don’t sugarcoat your opinions. That’s what we’re all here to do as honestly as possible as that is what’s fun about blogging. By the way, I agree that we need a legit backup center/PF. And, it is also true that Goldin, like Kaspar, could develop over time.
But, maybe it is the way I say it. I’ll try to improve.
living in miami /ft laud area which sun man doesnt .he prob hasnt seen any of his college games didnt u see him play for fau when they went to final 4.hes a capable backup
Thanks 30. I try to call them as I see them with the best information available at the time. If the facts change, I evaluate them and try to be flexible enough to change my opinion. For example, sometimes I am down on Herro. Then at other times, I see at lot of potential in him to be a very good point guard. But he would need to be willing to swallow his pride and humble himself and share the glory with Bam and the other players. PG is a skilled position. He has the skill. He had 23.9 ppg on 38.2% 3-point shooting, with 5.2 rpg and 5.5 apg. If he is willing to give up 4-6 ppg and increase his assists from 5.5 to 10.5, I might be willing to listen to contract suggestions. Otherwise, he is not worth 3YRS/$150M. P.S. I saw Nash and Dragic come of age in Phoenix. Herro needs to be willing to commit to being the best PG possible.
goldin shnoz ware bam hh(smallest pf in history of nba)eric likes em small broke the mold with ware
PJ Tucker also 6’5″.
jae crowder also on ad lol.spo likes small men on large men.the heat have had 3 of the smallest pf in history of nba
Too many shortsides.
It wouldn’t surprise me to see Kel’el take the next step. The flashes of abilities he has shown seem to convey a high potential for it. He could become very good on both sides of the ball. .
As long as bam is here his game will be handicapped.
As usual, your eye test eyes need help from your optometrist.
Offensive contributions
Individual boost
AMEN! Bam ain’t going anywhere. He’s a Heat lifer.
wish lebron was a heat lifer ditto quitter.bams 2 levels below lebron 1 level below quitter..u and your bam sun hes an ok player not special.getting paid ss money bad contract again by u and pat.come on sun u need to be better at doling out mickey$$$.
Lebron, Durant, Quitter, etc. are all mercenaries with no loyalty at all to their teams. So there’s that.
their divas the male version of the kardasions.
…with less money. Kim (sell her ass for a dollar) K. is worth $1.7B.
brons got more $$ than the other kardsions.
James $1.2B.
wow we had him and let him get away i would have done anything to keep the goat here anything.
Offensively, its a great fit. Defensively, it will take some time for Ware to figure it out.
there were so many possessions where ware looked lost.just standing around the 3 pt line and hoisting 3 pointers.ware has got a better low post game then bam.ware should be down low and bam more on the perimeter.if ware is gonna be a perimeter player he will not be as effective as he could be on the block.im not saying its not an effective lineup im just saying ware cannot maximize his offensive game with bam on the floor.thats what my eyes tell me.hfl knows hoops rc.im gonna change my name to efl
I agree with most of that 100%. Ware needs to be more around the basket, less hanging around the perimeter.
I think the improvement of ware is the best thing that can happen to the heat.Powells addition was a great move.If those 2 can give us 20 pts a piece i think we can challenge in the east.With powell here less shots for herro is a good thing.Tyler needs to be more of a team guy and realize hes got 4 talented players around him that need to be fed.I think we should have 5 guys average between 16-20 pts.Still need that ss but for this year looks like a very competitive team
I m not that optimistic.
With Herro, Powell, Wiggins starting, we have three scorers and poor playmakers. Bam and especially Ware wont get much chance to score.
I believe one of those three should be moved to the bench and replaced with pass first guard, like Dru, or even KJ later in season.
Herro is the solution. He has the potential to be a very good playmaking guard. He just needs to make a commitment to doing it. Otherwise, no extension and see you later. Then Miami should trade him for a high PPG and a AG PG.
I don’t think KJ will get many opportunities this season. I mean for the Heat. And Dru hasn’t signed yet, afaik. There’s still Mitchell,though. Actually, Ware doesn’t need to score that much anyway, more important is that he improves defensively and his rebounding imo.
I also think they will be competitive and that lineup can work. They will also have a pretty strong bench, though they still need a backup center. Not sure if they can get to the ecf, but they should be more fun to watch. My concern is that I’ve agreed with you twice in the same day, so I have to speak to my shrink.
Sounds like the beginning of a long term bromance. Gives new meaning to heatforlife.
HFL is a voice of reason lately, so don’t worry yet. But call it a day for today, just in case.
RC said that hfl recently started attending a combo anger management and power of positive thinking class and he has been much nicer to him lately. Therapy works.
rc likes my eyes.
ty vagi im a big world traveler what country do u live in.been to kotor montenegro never seen so many beautiful ladies.just did french riviera few weeks ago lots hotties down there to.europeans def in better shape then us americans.
Last time I ve been in Montenegro was maybe 20 years ago. An interesting mix of races happened in the past there . The result are gorgeous blond and green eyes ladies from that area. So I know you can lost your eyes there.
I was in France two ears ago, and I plan to spent a week this year too. Pity we missed each other, I would like to have a drink with you on my yacht… or yours, depends, which one is bigger.
But the real beauties lives in my homeland Slovenia, of course, all of them in excellent shape.
blond and green eyes yes no brown eyed brown hair beauties in kotar.was in paris during olympics and nice monte carlo lyon this year.lots skinny shapely ladies.sloventia isnt that where that lake bled is that looks cool,no yacht vagi.ill have to visit slovenia ill give u heads up when i go there.
Welcome. Cant wait.
ill have to look for a cruise that has slovenia as a port
If you need any help let me know
Rookies will do that. Especially centers. They take the longest to develop. Remember, he didn’t start until over half-way through the season.
Patience is a virtue heat. Hang loose. This isn’t a life or death situation. It’s just a child’s game played by grown ass men for a buttload of money. Some play for the love of the game and others do it for the love of the money. Chill!