Why Heat’s first-round series against Cavaliers is a great litmus test for Kel’el Ware

Contrary to what most would’ve thought, say, a month ago–or last week, depending on who you ask–the Miami Heat are back in the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. On the other side of that coin is the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, having one of the best seasons in franchise history.

Over a decade ago, head coach Erik Spoelstra was instrumental to the transition into the small-ball, adopting and optimizing the revered Big 3–yes, Rich Paul, it was a Big 3–into the league’s most dangerous “small-ball” unit before the Spurs supplanted them in the 2014 NBA Finals.

Ever since, the Heat have maintained a similar philosophy–both with how Spoelstra’s deployed lineups on the court and with how the roster was constructed. At times, they were big (i.e. Hassan Whiteside, Kelly Olynyk, Meyers Leonard), but never “we have positional size everywhere and we’re going to bother you with it” big. Functional size (and athleticism) lacked, which was a big reason why they were ousted in the 2023 NBA Finals by the Denver Nuggets. The burden on Bam Adebayo’s shoulders became too big for even him to handle–and he already handles more than most NBA players could imagine.

While they still don’t entirely fit the latter, they appeared to have made a (slight) philosophical shift last offseason. That started with drafting big man Kel’el Ware No. 15 overall. After much-needed development behind the scenes, Spoelstra started Ware next to Adebayo in early January and hasn’t looked back. While he’s endured his growing pains, this upcoming series against the Cavaliers will be the perfect litmus test for the 20-year-old rookie.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a great litmus test for rookie Kel’el Ware:

There’s no doubt that Ware has surpassed expectations as a rookie, averaging 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 22.2 minutes across 64 games, including 36 starts. He was clearly on the outside-looking-in on the Rookie of the Year chase, but he had a case for being one of the five-best rookies, top-10 at worst.

However, Cleveland is a different animal. And postseason basketball is a different ballgame.

The Cavs possess one of the best double-big lineups in the NBA in Evan Mobley, an ascending star, and Jarrett Allen. When they shared the floor together, they outscored teams by 12.6 points per 100 possessions. It helps when they’re flanked by two star-studded guards in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, but even when only one of Allen or Mobley was on the floor, Cleveland outpaced teams by 10.3 points per 100.

In his only meeting against Cleveland this season, Ware’s impact was negated in 29 minutes, scoring just five points on 2-of-6 shooting with four rebounds. Mobley, a former No. 2 overall pick, has developed into one of the best two-way big men in the NBA while Allen is a physical, yet athletic interior presence.

Neither Chicago nor Atlanta had two bigs who could match with Ware–a big reason why he played well in both play-in games. That’s not Cleveland. Postseason experience for Miami’s young players is important–providing a true measure of where they’re at (relative to their peers) and valuable feedback on what they must improve for the future.

Ware has all the tools in the world, but postseason basketball is a more physically demanding challenge, regardless of whether it’s a sweep or lasts seven games. One of his biggest weaknesses is his strength, or lack thereof. How does he still impact the game on both ends of the floor against this double-big behemoth? How does he leverage his strengths into production in a postseason environment?

That’s not to say Kel’el Ware won’t be successful over the next two weeks. There’s no telling how well he may perform. He’s an exceptional talent and so much further along than he was nine months ago.

Though those questions will not only be important for the Miami Heat’s success, but also important as a building block for his future, which is why this is such a great test for him.

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