Why Erik Spoelstra Doesn’t Take Kel’el Ware “For Granted”

ByNBAUSA


MIAMI – With The Miami Heat feature a completely healthy roster in Wednesday’s 106-103 NBA Cup victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, there were big changes to the starting lineup and bench rotation. Although Heat star Kel’el Ware has been in the midst of an impressive streak while in the starting line-up he would be relegated to the bench, but that did not demotivate the 22-year-old in the victory.

With Hero playing his second straight game back from injury and surgery, and returning from Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins, head coach Erik Spoelstra decided to bench Vare. That didn’t stop Ware in the win over the Bucks, though, as he had a huge impact on the second unit, scoring 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field, along with nine rebounds, two steals and a block.

Also with a team-leading +16 on the floor, Ware has impacted the game when he’s been there, which Spoelstra told ClutchPoints that he doesn’t take Ware “for granted,” knowing it’s difficult to go from playing well in the starting unit to the bench.

“He’s been very good, and I don’t take that for granted,” Spoelstra said. “It’s not easy for a young player to come off the bench, then start, then play well and then return to the bench, but he’s handling it well, and I think that’s important, it’s part of his development.”

“Every day you continue to have the approach of getting better and then realizing that it’s a team concept and there’s going to be a certain level of sacrifice that’s going to be required for our team to reach its potential,” Spoelstra continued.

The warmth Bam Adebayo talks about the development of Kel’el Vare

Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) reacts after scoring against the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter at Cassia Center.
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

As it is The Heat saw Ware improve game by gamerecently shown after a fast start, Ware had a nine-game hitting streak in double figures, especially showing increased intensity before Wednesday. He even had double-doubles in seven of his last eight games prior to the win over the Bucks, but if there was any consistency in those games compared to Wednesday, it was his impact in the win.

Someone who echoed that sentiment was team captain Bam Adebayo, a well-known mentor to Ware, who said that if he hadn’t played the way he did against the Bucks, Miami would lose. He was instrumental in stopping Milwaukee’s success when Myles Turner kept shutting down Adebayo for a smaller defender when Ware was sidelined.

“Maybe it’s not going to be 20 and 18 every night, but you know the 11 and 9 that he had tonight was impactful, like it was a factor in the win, and that’s the biggest thing about it,” Adebayo said. “He was +16. That’s the thing I hate about stats, because when they say, ‘He only had 11 and nine,’ they think it’s not impressive, but that was a loud 11 and nine that we needed. He doesn’t get 11 and nine, we lose the game. And so I kind of think about it, he’s still young,’ like I still said. it affects the win if it’s not loud numbers.”

Either way, Ware’s role with the Heat will evolve as his next opportunity is Saturday against the Detroit Pistons.





2025-11-27 23:00:00

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