The Miami Heat don’t make things easy for its players. In fact, pride is taken in making things hard. The Heat have declared themselves the “hardest working, best conditioned, most professional, unselfish, toughest, meanest, nastiest team in the NBA.” To their credit, they hold their players to a certain standard.
Last year, rookie Kel’el Ware had some brilliant games and ended his season averaging 9.3 points and 7.4 rebounds. However, he often found the ire of head coach Erik Spoelstra, who didn’t think he was mature enough.
“There’s layers to this with Kel’el,” said Spoelstra during summer league. “A big part of this is he has to really embrace and improve his professionalism, his consistency, his approach every single day. He has to get better with that.”
As Ware prepares for his second NBA season, he has continued to be criticized by his head coach.
GettyMIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 26: Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts from the sidelines against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Kaseya Center on April 26, 2025 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
Erik Spoelstra Calls Out Kel’el Ware
In the Heat’s second preseason game, they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 103-93, falling to 0-2. Ware led the Heat with 18 points, although he failed to protect the rim, gave up costly turnovers, and was not efficient inside the 3-point arc.
Despite his 18 points and 13 rebounds, he finished with an abysmal plus/minus of -21. Spoelstra sounded off on Ware after the contest, not for the first time.
“There was a three-minute segment where it actually impacted the game,” Spoelstra said of Ware’s disappointing outing. “I wanted the next game to be a plus-20. That’s what it’s about. That’s part of the maturation for a young player. He does really good things, and then when you aren’t able to do it consistently, it doesn’t impact the game. You don’t want to have deflating plays. You want to have inspiring plays.”
Spoelstra would soften his tone on Ware, although the sentiment rings true: Ware needs to show some consistency if he wants to play a large role on a playoff team.
To his credit, he accepted what the head coach had to say.
“It’s all about getting to a point where I’m affecting winning basketball,” Ware echoed. “Just been able to go out there, impact the game in a positive way.”
Miami Heat Are Yet to Maximize Kel’el Ware
Last season, Spoelstra took a new approach, pairing his rookie center with Bam Adebayo for 541 minutes. The pair posted a 113.1 offensive rating and 108.5 defensive rating.
The offensive production was in line with the Heat’s average for the season, and the defense was much better than it usually was.
However, in the preseason, Spoelstra is yet to pair his two centers on the floor together. In the regular season, once everyone is healthy, Miami is expected to start Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, and Nikola Jovic. Ware, it seems, has been relegated to the bench full-time with rookie point guard Kasparas Jakucionis.
Ware impacted winning last season on both ends of the floor–as much as a rookie can–and seemed ready to step into a larger role. However, the “never tank” Heat are aiming to win as many games as possible, and there isn’t room for growing pains.
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