Erik Spoelstra reveals how ‘tough love’ fueled Kel’el Ware

MIAMI – Although it is The Miami Heat have been in a funk lately on the road Tuesday against the Toronto Raptors, having lost seven of the team’s last eight games, there is one bright spot going forward Kel’el Ware. As it is The Heat’s massive slump continued in a 135-127 loss for the New York Knicks, it was another great outing for Ware as head coach Erik Spoelstra talks about the attention he gets from the team.

There’s no denying Ware’s talent, as while it’s been an up-and-down journey to get better, as it is for many young players, the 22-year-old has impressed recently. Over the past three games, Ware has averaged 24.7 points and 15 rebounds per game while shooting 71 percent from the field, and perhaps most impressively, 75 percent from three-point range, going 12 of 16 from deep.

In addition to Spoelstra, assistant coach Malik Allen has been tasked with working closely with Vera to instill the physical and mental traits that have led to this feat. with the head coach talking about their relationship.

“I think Malik is one of the most underrated coaches in this league,” Spoelstra told ClutchPoints. “He has an amazing way of meeting players where they are and then pushing them to another level. He’s such a consistent mentor, but he also backs it up with experience as a player and then coaching acumen and then this magical area of ​​just knowing how to communicate that and connect, you know, with the players.”

“They have a great relationship, and sometimes it’s tough love,” Spoelstra continued. “You know, you guys think I’m tough on Kel’el. I love that. But also, Malik’s also the first one to put his arm around me and say, ‘Let’s go to lunch. I just love watching their dynamic.’

Asked Erik Spoelstra about what has changed for Kel’el Ware.

He also asked him about his relationship with assistant Malik Allen, who Spo says is one of the most underrated coaches.

“It’s tough love, you guys think I’m hard on Kel’el…”

Full answer with great insight: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/tD22t5kekn

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) December 23, 2025

Heat, Erik Spoelstra on Kel’el Ware finding consistency

Vero’s game against the Knicks is hot It was a historic week, as despite the loss he recorded a career-high 28 points with 19 rebounds and five 3-pointers, the first ever to hold that status with the franchise. In fact, Ware was one of the best three-point shooters, making 36 3-pointers on 75 attempts (48 percent), which ranked second in the NBA among players who attempted at least 70 from that range.

Perhaps more importantly for Miami, Ware’s rebounding has also improved significantly, entering Tuesday’s game with the fourth-best rebounding percentage at 19 percent, the percentage of available rebounds on the defensive end. Spoelstra talked more about what he sees from the Indiana product and hopes to see consistency.

“I think some of these things are happening,” Spoelstra told ClutchPoints. “You know, I think he’s had some good days. And if you do it long enough, eventually you start to get some results. You know, his practices have been good, his film sessions, his snaps have been good, I’m talking about six weeks ago, and it hasn’t necessarily meant consistency, and he’s still young. So there’s not always going to be some lines.”

“I want there to be some surprises, not just with Kel’el but with the other guys,” Spoelstra continued. “He’s behaving appropriately, and he’s responsible for winning. It’s not like, it doesn’t have to be like, a negative thing. We all want the same thing, we want a better result. We want growth, you know, faster. I want it to be like, he’s 28 years old, and it’s not realistic, and it’s a little bit good, as is obvious, as his impatience is obvious. He’s improving and I want to encourage that.”

Either way, Ware looks set to continue to improve as the season progresses, hopefully with winning games for the Heat as the team holds a 15-14 record heading into Tuesday’s game against the Raptors.