Heat first-year center Kel’el Ware is quietly moving up the rookie rankings and he’s now seen as a favorite for the Rookie of the Year award. He started the second half of a blowout win against the Spurs on Jan. 19, scoring 25 points. Now, he’s been promoted to the starting lineup alongside Bam Adebayo, allowing the latter to slide down to the four spot.
“It was working,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of starting the pair together, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst. “There’s a lot of complex decisions that we’re trying to make. If there’s something that’s obvious, and it’s working in a big way, let’s do it.”
In his three games getting extended looks next to Adebayo, Ware is averaging 22.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks while shooting 52.9% from the field and 6.0 three-point attempts per game. Really, his improvement’s been on display since the start of the month. In 13 games in January, he’s averaging 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a player who didn’t often see many minutes in 2024.
“There’s not a better organization for him to have gone to than that one,” a Western Conference scout said.
We have more from the Heat:
- Another Heat rookie got a chance to stand out as Pelle Larsson was elevated to the starting lineup on Thursday against the Bucks, as observed by the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson (Twitter link). Larsson took over Jimmy Butler‘s starting position with the six-time All-Star suspended by the team, as opposed to Jaime Jaquez Jr., who had done so during Butler’s previous suspension. Larsson quickly got into foul trouble, however, and only played 14 minutes. He’s averaging 4.3 points in 27 games this year.
- Terry Rozier is a “strong believer” his and the Heat’s play will turn around as the season marches through its second half, according to HoopsHype’s Cyro Asseo de Choch. Rozier admitted that this year is a big adjustment for his style of play. “When we look at last year, I probably got 8-10 ball screens a game. Now I probably don’t get more than one to two ball screens,” Rozier said. “And it’s not a knock on anybody. We obviously have players who we’re mainly worried about. And we’re trying to get active and we’re trying to get going. So I’m just trying to find my ways, find my rhythm. And it’s been kind of, it’s been kind of tough this season. But I think right now where I’m at, my headspace and everything, I kind of know what I want to do and how I can help this team go forward.”
- There’s a myriad of options for how the Butler situation might end, Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel writes. A win for Butler would be to end up in his preferred destination, Phoenix, while the Heat would come away victorious if they obtained their ideal trade package by moving him. Rolling suspensions, paying him not to play, and a messy summer could all come into play if Butler isn’t moved at the deadline, Winderman writes.
- Bucks head coach Doc Rivers offered some sympathies to Spoelstra in regard to the Butler dilemma on Thursday before the two teams squared off. “I just hope they find a way through it,” Rivers said, per Winderman (Twitter link). “I feel terrible for Spo. There’s no winning for Spo.” According to Winderman, Rivers said he dealt with a similar situation with Ben Simmons in Philadelphia.