Why the Heat's rookies are ready to make some noise in 2024-25

07/05/2024 06:30 PM

Miami Heat first round pick Kel’el Ware and undrafted free agent Zyon Pullin spoke to the media Friday afternoon to talk about preparing for the upcoming Summer League schedule as both have been with the organization for a brief moment since the draft was last month.

Talking about Ware, one of the many aspects that he’s been looking to improve in besides getting better on the court is bulking up in weight to further get in NBA size. He is currently seven-feet tall, weighing around 240 pounds, a point which he has been started “taking it serious” in his one season in Indiana University.

"At Indiana, that's when I started taking it serious, getting more in the weight room," Ware said. "I've already been in contact with the strength coaches here, telling me that I'm going to be in the weight room with them a lot. So basically just trying to get my upper body strong."

"My draft weight I think was at 230," Ware continued. "I think the weight that they want me to be at is more of just where I'm comfortable at, but I would say like 240, 245."

Ware’s former coach says he’s “got to get a little more weight on him”

The one piece that is important is that with his elite athleticism at his size, the hope is that if he does bulk up, he does not lose any of that explosiveness. However, even Ware’s Indiana head coach in Mike Woodson spoke to the media during his player’s introductory press conference and said he has to put “a little more weight on him.”

"He's got to get a little more weight on him, I think, for the NBA and the day-to-day grind that they have," Woodson said. "But his skill set is there. He can make threes, but he's got to get better and consistent with doing that. But I think the sky is the limit. The way Spo coaches and how he pushes guys to play at a high level, that's what he needs. He couldn't have picked a better organization than Miami."

Ware learning the “Heat habits”

It was a special moment when Ware was selected with the 15th overall pick in the last draft by Miami, but now it’s time to work as he prepares for the Summer League. He spoke to ClutchPoints about the stuff he is learning at the moment and even the “Heat habits” as put by the Heat’s Summer League head coach and player development coach Dan Bisaccio.

“I would say definitely just just learning like their sets, their plays, and just how they run everything over here,” Ware said. “You know, it’s the same as being in Indiana but just like the play calls is different, some of the sets is different. So just learning that and just running the floor, setting screens, rolling, doing all that stuff.”

Besides that, Ware is looking to make an immediate impact with Miami and his first showcase will be in the Summer League along with second round pick Pelle Larsson.

"I don't think it's much of trying to prove myself," Ware said about his mindset. "It's just going out there and playing the basketball that I've been playing. Just keeping up with what I've been doing…Anything that [the Heat] can teach me and help me learn how to be a better person and a better player.”

Florida Gator undrafted standout stays in-state with the Heat

Talking about Zyon Pullin, the Heat awarded him one of the three two-way contracts after they signed him as an undrafted free agent. They must have some familiarity with him as he played for the University of Florida for one season as before he was at UC Riverside for four years.

Now he is staying in-state for his professional career as he said to ClutchPoints Friday that the Heat was always a team he watched, even before his time in Florida.

“I think Miami is a team you always grew up watching. You know, there was always definitely a level of interest in wanting to play for an organization like this and how they run things and I think just their ability to work hard, no matter which guy you are on the roster,” Pullin said. “You can have opportunity to play as long as you come compete and show up every day, every single day. So I think that’s been fun.”

“And I think just Florida just allowed me to play that competition, you know, day in day out. I think it’s really prepared me you know, being around a lot of these high level players, something I experienced, especially making that shift from UC Riverside to Florida. Just getting a practice with it as well as play against it, I think just made me a better player and just a more complete player.”

Pullin talks why Heat was an attractive team to go to as a two-way player

As Pullin would allude to in his comments, he embraces competition in any way possible which is what he experienced during his time in college and what he will no doubt go through in his journey with the Heat. He would also talk about how excited he is to develop in a organization that is known to get the best out of their two-way players.

“I think a lot of is just their history with two way guys in similar positions like me, something I really gravitated towards,” Pullin said. “After talking with my agent and going through the process, I was super excited to have a team like the Heat want a guy like me and you know vice versa so I think it was just a great opportunity. You know, I’m looking forward to this whole journey.”

Pullin talks playing alongside Ware on Heat in practice 

In his one season with the Gators, Pullin averaged 15.5 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 44.9 percent from beyond the arch. He would speak about wanting to be “another extension of the coach.”

“I think just being a floor general, getting guys who you want the ball to get to, getting them their shots, you know, being able to set the table and just getting everyone involved, just be another extension of the coach honestly,” Pullin said. “So, I think that some, I tried to do well, get in the paint, you know, and just create for others and then you know, I think it opens up everything else. So, that’s something I’m really trying to show, show the coaching staff they could trust me, and make the right play and just use my IQ.”

First, he will get to show his talents during the summer league where he will get to play alongside a player like Ware which for any guard, the capabilities of the first-round pick help them out. There is no doubt that fans should expect a ton of lobs from one to the other as Pullin says Ware “opens up everything.”

"Having that kind of threat on the floor just opens up everything," Pullin said. "I think it's going to make us a great team just having that."

At any rate, the Heat start the summer league on Saturday, July 13 against the Boston Celtics.

The post Why the Heat’s rookies are ready to make some noise in 2024-25 appeared first on ClutchPoints.