Kel’el Ware’s “personal” message from Bam Adebayo after recent “uneven” game

With The Miami Heat’s tough loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday night, 106-105, the team fielded a different starting lineup than fans have seen recently, leading to mediocre results. As Heat star Tyler Hero received an MRI that revealed a toe contusionwhich is why he missed the loss to Orlando Kel’el Ware it started, although it wouldn’t be the most memorable outing.

Herro, the head coach, is missing Erik Spoelstra they started two large sets of Vara i Bam Adebayo leads the frontcourt along with Davion Mitchell, Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins. While the Ware-Adebayo duo was one that was effective last season, it has been worse this season, and Friday’s loss is another example.

With the duo playing 14 minutes together against the Magic, Miami would have been outscored by 14 points, and even Ware was benched with just over two minutes left in the third quarter, which was nowhere to be seen in the final period. After making his first start since Nov. 24, Spoelstra called the two big lineups “uneven,” leading Adebayo to say that Ware it should be understood as motivation.

“You take it personally, it’s one of those things where when you hear situations like that, how your coaches feel, you take it personally and make it work so he doesn’t have any complaints about it, or he doesn’t change it where we’re the only big one,” Adebayo said, via HeatCulture video on X, formerly Twitter. “So obviously we’re going to get on this plane. That’s 45 minutes. That’s plenty of time for me and Kel’el to get in some film and see how we can fix his way of thinking about it.”

Bam gives advice to Kel’el after Spaw’s criticisms of their beginning:

“You take it personally. It’s one of those things where you hear situations like that how your coaches feel — you take it personally and make it work so he has no complaints about it. . . .”

I like this one from Bam. pic.twitter.com/fLf0dGZzO9

— ღამარი (@VadekFlash) December 6, 2025

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on “uneven” starting lineup with two bigs

Although it is The Heat’s young center in Ware has gone through monster strideshis season as a whole has been inconsistent, though he still has a lot to learn at 21 years old and in his second season.

Still, the long-term goal is to see Ware alongside Adebayo in the starting court, though this season Miami has been outscored by 10.8 points per 100 possessions in the 117 minutes they’ve played together. Spoelstra would relatively echo the same sentiments, saying that when the Heat “play bigger,” wants it to be a “plus”, and not negative.

“That starting group was a little uneven tonight,” Spoelstra said after Friday’s loss, via video from Heat Central on X. “We’ve got to keep working on it. I just want to see that group, when we play bigger, just to be a plus. So we’ve got some work to do there. It should be a very good defensive group, but that’s how we’re able to keep going, and that’s how we were able to keep going. work on it.”

Coach Spo in a double-sized starting line-up

“That starting group is a little uneven. I just want to see that bigger group be in the plus. We’ve got work to do there. It should be a good defensive group, but that group hasn’t been able to defend so far.”

We hope Spo continues to give… https://t.co/rSnu2kjkFH pic.twitter.com/lUHmu44tG3

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) December 6, 2025

So far this season, Ware is averaging 11.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. Ware will continue to be a developmental piece for Miami, but there’s no denying the immense talent he has with his athleticism in his seven-foot frame, ability to shoot from deep and in the post, etc.

Either way, Ware looks set to thrive with Adebayo on the floor together, as the next opportunity is on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings, with Herro likely to be sidelined again. After Saturday, Miami embarks on a four-game road trip.