Erik Spoelstra Challenges Bam Adebayo-Kel’el Ware Pairing?

With The Miami Heat play the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, the team is looking to snap its three games and get out of its current funk. He looks to return after The Heat is a bad loss for the Sacramento Kings last Saturday, there is one aspect about the team that could make them a dangerous pairing Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware.

While that frontcourt duo started a good portion of the second half in 2024-25, leading to exciting results, the output this season has been mediocre. When the two have been on the floor with each other this season, Miami has been outscored by 12.5 points per 100 possessions in their 123 minutes together.

He also has the worst net rating among the two teams combined, according to the Miami Herald, a head coach Erik Spoelstra would dispute the pairing after training on Monday.

“I just want to see that group, when we play bigger, just to be a plus,” Spoelstra said. “So we have some work to do there. It should be a very good defensive group, but it’s a group that hasn’t been able to defend so far and we have to continue to work on that.”

Erik Spoelstra sees potential in the Heat’s exciting frontcourt

As it is The captain in Adebayo sent messages to Vero and has been a mentor to the 22-year-old center, there’s no denying the talent he has as an athletic seven-foot big man. Given how elite Adebayo is, mixed with Ware’s ability, Spoelstra sees potential.

“Ultimately, it’s about the scoreboard,” Spoelstra said. “So defensively, I see that as a pair that could be really good defensively. Recover the court, rebound really well, protect the rim really well. So far it hasn’t necessarily been that way. Offensively, I’m willing to go through it because it changes some driving angles. But I’m willing to defend it at a high level.”

Ware, who has had an up-and-down season this season, mentioned that he is “locked in” and wants to prove to Spoelstra that two big lineups can work. For Adebayo, the message remains that he and Ware “have to take it personally” that Spoelstra is challenging them and that he wants to try other lineups.

In any case, it remains to be seen what lineups Spoelstra will field for Tuesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal against the Magic as Miami returns key players from injuries like Tyler Hero and Davion Mitchell.