Kel’el Ware Shines Again For Miami Heat In Preseason Loss vs Magic | Nikola Jović Injury A Concern?

Kel’el Ware Shines Again For Miami Heat In Preseason Loss vs Magic | Nikola Jović Injury A Concern?

Hey, welcome on in guys. Tobin here with you. Thanks for checking out the channel, your Miami Heat. They uh lose to the Orlando Magic today in preseason action. 0 and4 for the Heat in preseason action while the Magic uh are unbeaten at 3-0. Miami loses 120 to 104 today. Uh we’ll put some things in context for it. For starters, uh 70% of the team was out. I mean, that was that was for one. There was no Yoic. We know no hero no Roier Bam was there he didn’t play Norman Pal Andrew Wiggins did not play uh all resting there’s a backto-back that he played the Orlando Magic tomorrow Simone Fonteio did not play Drew Smith didn’t play and Casper Yakonis played four minutes before leaving with a hip injury so of the regulars who may seem minutes today you had Kelwar Pella Larson Himeme Hakez Jr. DaVon Mitchell and then whatever we’re going to get out of Keshan Johnson this year who obviously uh well he did not play well today. He he did not play well. Not not really a lot to write home about for anybody who wasn’t Kell Wear today to be honest with you. And even Kell Wear his night fantastic. Uh he he really looked great and that is the allar but even his night kind of ended on a stinker because uh the Magic just absolutely kicked the snot out of the heat in the second half of this game especially in second chance points. You knew in a matchup like this just like it was in the first game. Uh regulars are not regulars that you know you got to get rebounds against the Orlando Magic. They’re tall. They still got Pat out there. They got Wendell Carter. They got Jonathan Isaac. They got a lot of guys who are scrappy all over the place. Then you got people flying around like Anthony Black and Jayce Richardson. Um, and they were just making the extra efforts. They were making the extra efforts. They were keeping possessions going. And then even when possessions died, you can’t have turnovers that lead to slam dunks. And that’s kind of how Kell’s night ended. Uh, which was overall a fantastic individual night for him. And that was not just uh empty calories. I mean, he was he was really the only offensive spark Miami had tonight. Everybody else really really rough. Haime had some moments for sure like he’s had a pretty solid preseason. Um, you know, the back and forth between him and France Vagner was an interesting dynamic. I think Fran both of them had their moments. Um, for sure. Fron Vagner, you know, did get to the free throw line a ton today, but yeah, Haime looks solid, but but everybody else, it was a tough watch, dude. It was a It was a It was a tough watch. There’s there’s no mincing words there. But, um, on the good end of it, uh, yeah, wear continues to just look like an absolute specimen. I mean, we we are seeing stuff from him uh offensively that is just really really really fun and especially in the first half of this game when it was a game uh you just you got to see a lot of it. He was giving Jonathan Isaac the business tonight and it’s not quite the sexy matchup that um Victor Wimbam is, but this is a guy, you know, he’s he’s one of their solid rotation guys. Lost a little bit of weight to try and make himself a little bit more fleet of foot. They love what he brings to the table uh defensively. Um and man, Kell was was just giving it to him. Just just possession after possession. Few and ones on him was uh just couldn’t couldn’t physically hang with where could Isaac. So that was something that was uh was really enjoyable to see when it came to Kellw wear. Uh he had a great finish over him individually. Then he got a beautiful block that led to a haime Hakez bucket. uh he’s been knocking down the three-pointer in this preseason. That’s been a fascinating thing to see. I’ve only uh been boots on the ground. I’ll be there on uh Wednesday for the scrimmage. I’m calling that on QAM with Salana and Tommy Ty. But it it looks like it’s a little bit of a quicker release for him. He just looks very very comfortable shooting the three ball right now. Uh it doesn’t seem to matter what situation it is. So, you know, I don’t know if you want a ton of them. still want Kell dominating the paint, but it was uh it was a nice mix of it today. He uh ultimately finishes with 24 points. He was nine to 17 from the floor, two of four from downtown, four for four from the free throw line, 10 rebounds, one assist, two steals, one turnover, that critical turnover uh at the at the end of his stint. He did this all in 24 minutes. So, a very very efficient night for Kell Wear. um which definitely stood out above the rest. You know, Pella Lararsson had a a very helter skelter night tonight. Like the fouls were a problem. He only played 20 minutes. He had five fouls. He had four of them in the first half. Um played a lot better in the second half. You know, kind of just got to his game of being aggressive and throwing his body all over the place. um you know hit a couple of threes tonight but also turned the ball over four times. So it was a very jackalin high night for Pella Larson and then his Arizona compadre Keshaw Johnson. Look uh I’ve certainly pumped the tires on Keshaw Johnson and how excited I am for his upcoming season. I I really like Keshot as a as a as as a guy. this guy is a a a he seems like a rockolid person in the locker room and uh all that stuff that he brings and I am hopeful I was hopeful that this guy was going to find himself in some situational stuff this year uh to bring defensive tenacity and all that. Um and look is going to look at this and he’s going to be like hey was he I think he was the lone guy today who was a plus other than Gabe Madson. So in in and Gabe Madson came in like when the game was over. So he’s the only guy who was a plus on the floor. So Spell will probably look at that. Um but there the three-point shot looks the the shots just broken right now. Like he’s just not in a rut. He doesn’t look confident taking him. Um three balls wide open and then missing a lot of free throws as well. Like got to the free throw line a good handful of times but every single time there was a miss there. Uh, and then there was a big his best play was a a transition bucket and one um off of a Myron Gardner chased down block and he couldn’t convert the three-point play there. So, lot of meat on the bone for Keshaw Johnson and um yeah, the Arizona guys tonight a bit of a a bit of a weird night for sure. And then the other bad news that came out of today was Casper Yakonis ends up getting hurt. He has a hip injury, so we’ll see what happens there. But obviously not great. He did get he just got back. The only thing that we really got from him was a sick ass alleyoop to Kel Wear just throwing it up to the sky. Miami couldn’t shoot a lick tonight. Uh they finished the night 9 to 33 from downtown. Um they shot 38% overall. Both teams just really rough nights. 39% for Orlando. the big difference free throws. They hit eight more than Miami. They were 33 of 38. Uh they hit four more threes than Miami. And then the second chance points was really where things swung in the second half of this game. Um it’s 29-21, but a lot of that like once it really like the Heat it separated on that stuff just offensive rebounds giving those up those second chance points is second chance points is second chance points to Orlando was uh was an absolute killer today. They got out rebounded 60- 41. Orlando had 23 offensive rebounds. So, just giving them chance after chance after chance in this game, you know, no matter who’s out there, that’s that’s not going to stand for the Heat. So, they that that was uh unenjoyable to see. Preach Chua had an interesting night tonight. I think that he showed some good rebounding ability. um you know if that is one of those things where you have to break glass in case he did give you uh tonight in 18 minutes gave you seven points, eight rebounds. Not a guy with a ton of touch like he airballed a runner but I I think that energy that is looking for to bring what he can bring. you know, there there’s something there in I there is one interesting thing that is pointed out. Uh Vlad Golden, Vladislav Golden, who has one of the Heats two-way deals, he’s getting very little run in the preseason, which I find odd. I don’t know if he’s come into the preseason and I don’t know if the Heat are like trying to hide him. I don’t know if the Heat are trying to develop him, but it’s been very noticeable that he he didn’t play tonight on a coach’s decision. And I don’t know what the I’m not waiting for press conference after a preseason game, guys. So, sorry. Guess I’ll have more info on that tomorrow. Um, but that’s weird. You know, I would have figured that he’s going to get some time like before they signed Precious like they were going to go to the games. You would think with Vlad Golden getting some chances to get some touches in. They uh it’s either been really late in guard time. Some of that is they’ve been playing a lot of Kell wear. So there’s that. Um but today seemed like an opportunity you would have seen him like in the full fourth quarter and they put in Dane Dana. So that’s an interesting thing. Now mind you they do have a backto-back. They could play him a lot tomorrow. But um yeah man outside of outside of wear tonight it was not it was not an enjoyable watch for your for the Heat fan. Now the the good news on the collar thing is he was a really enjoyable watch and I think that you have to be really pleased with the way where has not only responded but the but the things that he’s developed on you know look just because Eric Spolstra called Kel Wear out uh is not does not mean he hasn’t worked on things and hasn’t developed anywhere either like Kel like Alonzo Morning I put this clip up on my Instagram and Tik Tok page uh from our media day interview, but Alonzo Morning had said like, “Hey, Cloair was in the gym a lot this summer.” He saw him there a lot and and he’s not exactly one to You know, Zoe’s not going to go just giving him around credit willy-nilly. And he said like, “Hey, Kel’s been in the gym a lot and that he has put on weight and he has put on strength.” And he did look on some of the guys, whether it be Pat or whether that be Isaac today, he did look a lot more physically intimidating on stuff. It’s just about, you know, keeping that engine going the whole time. I think it was just what happened there at the end. He’s got to carry that a little bit with leadership and he is young, so maybe you just don’t realize the gravity of that situation. Um, not that they would have won anyway. I mean, when that happened, it made it a 12point game. You know, it was a tough sequence. You know, they were still they he gets that rebound, they’re down 10, they go and they can make it a single digit game. Instead, it becomes a 12. So it I could see why it hung in the balance. You could see Malik Allen talking to Kell afterwards, but I I you look I don’t want to do every one of these things where we got to be so tough on Kell every single game. He overall kicked ass today. That was a rough way for the game to end. He got a you know but you know he also in a game that was slipping away like got the and one to kind of even make it close. Um he also, you know, got a big rebound, gave it to Jamir Young who tried to get a bucket over to Pat. You know, Shane had gone in maybe into the paint instead of sticking out into the three maybe. But I mean, you know, I think overall Kell’s game was an eight out of 10 today. He was really really impressive. The Heat, everybody else just kind of stunk to high heaven. They really uh were impressive. I thought Haime, we’re seeing some good stuff. He’s aggressive. He’s going to the paint. Um the Heat didn’t play him in the second half of this game which was interesting. I don’t know if that’s again they do have a backto-back tomorrow so that could lean into it. Uh and then the other thing is DaVon Mitchell we haven’t really mentioned him. DaVon Mitchell debuted today only played 10 minutes so they were you know kind of giving him a little spin around the block uh of some stuff but not really noticeable tonight you know so it it definitely felt like he’s getting his feet wet and that’s why you got to give Pella some leeway too. like Pella’s coming back from an injury, DaVon just coming back from injury and uh you know, so you give a little leeway to those guys, but you certainly would want more from Kashad. Uh and then you know, the the rest of the guys, Myron Gardner, Jir Young showed some moments tonight. I thought that he looked pretty decent. Um he ended up finishing with 18 points, six of 11, and that kind of speaks to the game that he had. He was uh he he was uh pretty impressive at times. Gardner, his best play was probably that chase down block, but all these guys are, you know, kind of trying to find themselves with all of this stuff. Young did also have four turnovers today. Gardner had two. So, there’s that to to consider as well. And then, yeah, I’m trying to think, is there anything else like that really stood out from this matchup? We got a couple things big picture-wise on the Heat. Um, I think that’s it. You know, nice games by Jace Richardson today. Nice games. Uh, Tristan Dilva looked really impressive for Orlando. They got a good squad, man. And then we had like the old friends showdown with, uh, with Orlando Robinson and Jamal Kane getting that revenge against the Heat at the end. The um, so tomorrow they’re playing the Hawks or if you’re watching this on Monday, they play the Hawks again. I’d imagine we’re going to get to see this is going to be as much of a dress rehearsal as I would think because they got that and then they got the scrimmage on Wednesday and then Friday is the last preseason game against the Grizzlies. So, I’m going to guess that this is probably going to be the Heats I don’t even want to say dress because they don’t have Nico. They don’t have Nico. Nico’s dealing with a back injury, which isn’t great. I mean, that’s something that he’s had issues with with the past. And he said uh he told uh reporters that he has kind of been dealing with it in camp and that, you know, they were trying to avoid this, but this obviously flares up. Look, a guy who has had some durability issues, that’s probably the most concerning one. The other ones have been like weird training incidents like hurt the foot training in the offseason, broke his hand, weird thing in a fluke. But the bad one is just like uh all right. Don’t feel awesome about that. And the interesting thing to be fair is like if he can’t go, does if Kell has another awesome game tomorrow because Nico’s on this trip, does that open the door to Kell winning the starting job? Um, that’s that I think that is a fair question. We haven’t seen him and Bam play together a ton. So I I mean I imagine tomorrow I’d imagine we are going to see that because I can’t imagine Spo’s going to go DaVon Wiggins Norman Bam. Who would he go Keshod? Like I I don’t know. I I I think if he does that then I guess we have our answer. But I would be curious. You got Porzingis tomorrow. I’d imagine. I don’t know if he’s hurt or not. He is hurt a lot. But if he does go, you know, there’s definitely some length and size on that that Hawks team that I would be curious about, but the the the Nico thing was a little bit like h all right. I I didn’t love hearing that. And and it this has sucked with the injuries. I mean, they’ve been, you know, with with Cass going down, with Tyler being out, DaVon Joe’s coming back, Pella just coming back, and now we got the Nico thing to deal with, and the and the Heat on the guard front, they’re okay. They got depth there. The bigs, they don’t. And so, that one is uh concerning if this is something that’s going to linger. It’s not something that Nico seems very concerned about, at least based on the quotes. I wasn’t there in person, so I don’t know tone on that, but it’s one of those things you’re keeping an eye on a little bit. Keeping an eye on it with uh with that. But all in all, uh pretty lousy game to watch tonight. Uh but an awesome uh individual performance by Kell, who continues to um bounce back from Spo’s words, not seem to take it too personally, and look like a guy who can be a physical force in this league. a guy. I mean, he’s an extraterrestrial dude. He’s got I mean, that block that he had, just like that big paw up there, the moves that he can have, the comfort that he has on some of these things, the one-on-one moves. Um, it’s enough to make you kind of forget the record over the last two games. You know, I know people have been like, “I don’t care. They’re losing games.” All right, you know, calm down, Mr. Preeason. But I feel like his performance has been good enough that’s made me forget about if they didn’t. I mean, I’d be like, “Oh my god, this is the worst. Summer League sucked and now this sucks.” But Kell has has made it palatable. So, you know, we’ll uh we’ll see if they can put it all together. maybe get a preseason win tomorrow with more of the regulars all involved in the uh the game against the Hawks.

Tobin recaps a pretty rough watch of a preseason game that was only saved by the highlights of Kel’el Ware. Ware put up another monster night on the box score but the rest of his teammates not so much. Kasparas Jakučionis gets banged up. Davion Mitchell debuts. Keshad Johnson needs to make shots. Pelle Larsson is fouling too much and why doesn’t Spo play Vlad Goldin if he’s on a two-way?
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