Heat's Kel'el Ware 'rolling with the punches' during cold streak

03/13/2025 06:35 PM

MIAMI – While one Miami Heat rookie has served as a sparkplug for the team in Pelle Larsson, the team’s first-round pick Kel’el Ware is currently amid a few rough outings. This was on display in the Heat’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday as he spoke about the learning process or overcoming his current shortcomings.

Looking at the season overall, Ware has been impressive in his rookie season as he’s currently a mainstay in the starting lineup, standing alongside Bam Adebayo in the front court. However, in back-to-back games against the Charlotte Hornets’ Mark Williams and Clippers’ Ivica Zubac, he was taken advantage of his inexperience.

Williams had 24 points and 10 rebounds and Zubac finished with 26 points and 14 rebounds as Ware struggled in protecting the paint against the named bigs defensively and earning his points offensively. It’s led to sporadic playing time late and even Haywood Highsmith starting in his place in the second half on Wednesday as Ware has a clear mindset.

"I'm just rolling with the punches," Ware said after the loss to Los Angeles, which is Miami’s fifth straight.

"Those are guys who have been in the league for a minute and I'm still learning through it," Ware continued about the opposing performances from Williams and Zubac. "So I don't really think it's tough. I just think it's more of a lesson to learn, look back on it and get better next year."

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra on how Kel’el Ware can learn from the down outings

With the Heat looking to face the Boston Celtics next, Spoelstra is looking for any way to succeed in terms of rotations and explained the decision to not start Ware in the second half.

"It just didn't look right against this team, to start two bigs," Spoelstra said. "It's not necessarily an indictment on Kel'el. But we weren't able to take advantage of it. We've been working on these things. So we didn't go that way in the second half. There were stretches that looked OK. But Zubac kind of had his way there in the paint."

Erik Spoelstra speaks on starting Haywood Highsmith in the second half over Kel'el Ware.

"It didn't look right against this team to start two bigs. Not necessarily an indictment…" #HeatNationpic.twitter.com/9ra7vgNvT3

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) March 13, 2025

When examining how recent opposing bigs have been playing Ware, while the numbers aren’t pretty, Spoelstra would see the bright side in stressing how crucial it is to learn from the mistakes and apply them over time.

"He can definitely see the physicality, the girth and he's gained a lot of strength in the weight room," Spoelstra said. "But now there's also functional strength, technique and really competing against guys that are trying to take advantage of that post opportunity or catches in the paint. That's happened now a few times.

"The size, the strength, all that, we need that right now from him,” Spoelstra continued. “And he's learning everything from a fire hose, but this is actually the best way to learn is when there's consequences to everything because everything becomes so much more magnified."

Erik Spoelstra on Kel'el Ware learning from these last two tough outings.

"The size, the strength, all that, we need that right now from him and he's learning everything from a firehouse but this is actually the best way to learn is when there's consequences…" #HeatNationpic.twitter.com/5FZXxw8AyI

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) March 13, 2025

Heat’s Kel’el Ware confident he’s “progressing every game”

As the Heat looks to get back its fearless nature, Ware wants to get back to how he played earlier in the season, when he originally started, he was a huge presence on either side of the ball. Still, the late-game minutes have been up and down as the rookie would deny that it’s a trust issue since he plays a good portion of the game as he’ll focus more on getting better.

"I don't know if it's the trust factor because I play the first three quarters," Ware said of his recent sporadic late-game usage. "So I don't know if it's a trust factor [with Spoelstra]. I just feel like it's just the lineup that he wants to go with in the fourth quarter, I feel like that's really it, I don't think it's much of a trust factor. They haven't really said anything to me. That's why I feel like it's not much of a trust thing."

"I feel like I'm progressing every game, every practice," Ware continued. "Just trying to get better. Of course, this season isn't going how we all hoped it would go. But I'm still treating every day like I want to get better and I want to progress because I know my second year is going to come around quickly. So I just want to be prepared for that."

At any rate, Ware hopes to contribute to winning basketball and turn around the season as before Friday’s contest against the Boston Celtics, the team is 29-36 which puts them ninth in the East.

The post Heat’s Kel’el Ware ‘rolling with the punches’ during cold streak appeared first on ClutchPoints.