Miami Heat: Erik Spoelstra’s uncommon approach to Kel’el Ware | Five on the Floor

Welcome to the latest episode of Five on the Floor on the Five Reason Sports Network. Thanks for joining us on your favorite podcast app on Apple, Apple Podcast, on Android to recommend Spotify. Also check out the Five Reasons YouTube channel for your content around the sports spectrum. Also off the floor, it’s that time. $2.99 per month. That’s nothing. You won’t want to cancel, but you can at any time. Link is right here in the description. The place for the most heat information, and conversation. It’s off the floor. Also, check out prize picks. Use the code five. F IV. If you see a code in there already, delete it. Add ours. Ours is the best. Also, it helps us. Use the code five. Put down your five bucks. Play it and you get $50 in free lineups on the explore page. Check it out. It’s prizefix.com or the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Legal in the state of Florida, but make sure you use the code FIVE. And now, today’s episode. Uhoh. Yeah. It’s mercy music by mercy again. Keep nation the culture. Yo, I need you to call time out radio blanket open for the shot. Still five on the floor. Still ride for my dog on the court. Still survive in the war. Keep your eye on the ball or get burn from the heat. The mic off the wall without turning the cheek from night to day. No sleeping cats so allowed to mourn us. The nut is sleeping us never catch us alive from Miami. We pour any in the heat with five reason sports from the court to the streets. Damn car. Be patient. [Applause] Welcome to Five on the Floor, a daily insider show on the Miami Heat and the NBA featuring Ethan Skolnick, Greg Sander, Alex Toledo, Brady Hawk, and others from the Five Reason Sports Network. Also, make sure to subscribe to Off the Floor for the most heat anywhere. Five on the floor. Here’s today’s floor plan. I’m Ethan Skolig. You can follow me at EJ Skoliv Sports. I got Greg Savander. You can follow him at Greg Savander. Make sure to check catch up with recent episodes. We have been posting the interviews for media day. Uh we know that there was an issue with an upload for one of them. So if you downloaded the one that had Hakez and Larson on it and you’re like that’s not Hakez and Lson, we’ve re-uploaded it. So make sure that you go check that out. They were both good interviews and obviously both players who figure into the Heats plans one way or another. Uh Larson is expected to be back soon. His of course is on the court. In fact, we’re expecting a lot of the Heats guards to start filtering their way back in soon. I don’t know if you’ll be hearing this before or after the Wednesday night game against Milwaukee, which we’ll have Brady uh at the at that game for coverage, but we’ll see if any of the guards get back in there because some did some limited work on Tuesday. But it’s San Antonio, not Milwaukee. Milwaukee. Why do I keep saying that? I’m sorry. Yes, s you don’t want to let that one go. I don’t I guess I don’t know. Well, we saw Giannis on the court and then he didn’t play, but then there was a lot of conversation about Giannis afterwards. Oh. Oh, also episode about that is up. Greg and I did one on that. And uh the the newest report from Shams that Giannis had interest in going to New York, not Miami. Uh but that he’s compiling a list of teams just in case uh for the trade deadline in case things don’t work out with the Bucks. So that’s the honest topic. Obviously, yes, playing San Antonio. We’ll see if Weby plays. That’s a that that’ll be interesting if Brady’s down there. Uh but we’re going to talk about a guy who will be matched up with WBY if he does play and that’s KL Wear and feel like we’re cycling right back to the conversations over the summer. And I just I think it’s unusual. That’s all. And I I’m I’m trying to figure out Spo’s approach on this because it is such a departure from the way he has handled the majority vast majority of his players over his coaching tenure with the exception of one or maybe a couple. And I I I think that’s that that that’s what I’m taking interest in this because obviously he went through the whiteside experience. Didn’t seem to enjoy it by the end. And this is a little bit of a different situation in the sense of this is a player in Kel Wear that the Heat drafted. So they vetted him. They decided even with the concerns about motor that it was worth the risk. They took him 15th overall. He has shown the athletic potential that they anticipated. So, they didn’t miss on that. He is a walking double double, but the problem is the walking. Well, well played. And and and I I’m just interested in why Spo has decided that the best way to reach him is to call him out publicly because that’s not something he typically has done. Greg, he typically has gone into and by the way today’s floor plan we’re talking about Khir. I’m Ethan Scholic. This is Greg Sander. Sorry I missed that. He has typically praised individually criticized collectively. So the summer he doesn’t usually love to talk to us during his downtime, but he made a point to talk to the few of us that were in Vegas and not only made a point to do it, but had something prepared when he was asked about Kel Wear. M then he gets the performance that you were hoping for over the next two summer league games and now it feels like we’re right back to square one where like nothing Khell does is good enough for him and he’s staining it publicly because anybody box score watched as he said 18 and 13 man but if you watch the game and this came on the heels of the the Orlando the game against Orlando in Puerto Rico where I talked about this clip that my friend sent me of like 16 seconds of Kel doing nothing on defense and getting dunked on. Like it it feels like Spoke feels like this is the only way to reach where is is that is that what you’re sensing here is is to say well yeah you know there were flashes but uh you know we want to see more than flashes and all the rest of that and this is about impacting the game like he’s making an example of him and I he doesn’t typically do that. First a couple housekeeping notes. One, to our YouTube crowd, shout out to everybody who calls me bald in the comments because right now you can watch our episode and find out that I am in fact not bald. Uh, yes. Second, when we did post game the other night, uh, Ethan, you were at the arena. It was major and I I um very strategically brought up where’s statline and said like had you looked at that he would have led the segment with um a aggressive insurance for the player of the night, right? Like that’s was and then we talked about why it wasn’t. So that was happening uh in parallel to when Spo spoke to y’all at the arena. And so it was interesting to walk away kind of feeling that those were some of that was empty and then Spo reinforcing it by saying there was basically only a threeminut stretch that he felt was real winning basketball. And this is I guess where I come down on this. I don’t know that he thinks it’s the only way he can com can communicate with collarware to get this done, but it tells me that this isn’t just stuff we’re making up for podcast content. This is not just um him uh just like this isn’t because of his reputation of having motor issues. Like that’s not what Spolstra is making these comments about. there’s something that has substance that’s taking place on a day-to-day basis that the dots are not connecting. I’m not saying he’s being disruptive. I’m not saying he’s being unprofessional because at times I think Hassan could have been accused of being a bit unprofessional and that being a problem. Um, and that’s, you know, I’m not saying that that how that’s what Wear is doing to the locker room or anything like that, but obviously conversations are happening and communication is not feeling like it’s getting through to the point where um he’s playing the kind of basketball that Spolster is looking for and he’s being vocal about it. So that means that something is there’s a disconnect somewhere. And because you’re right, usually he would never be this forthcoming with the media and be very um like honest about how he felt, how a guy played. He would kind of just say what he needed to say to get through the press conference and then you’d see it reflected in maybe his minutes or his role later on down the road. He’d actually go further. He’d actually say, “Well, you don’t see what we see or those are untrained eyes.” or something like he he’d be defending the player against the outside forces, the peripheral opponents as Pat Riley used to call them. Uh he’s not doing that. He’s feeding into it. Uh he’s giving us the content. And I I’m just I’m surprised also because well, okay, let’s let me let me retreat a little bit to the the day in summer league. Okay, which again spo was not coaching that team, but he was at that particular practice. And that’s also the practice where I clipped where against Golden in a one-on-one and wear was not happy that we posted that video. But I mean, it’s just the only video I got when I came in and so we posted it and didn’t make Wear look particularly engaged. Uh, and you know, and so it was all this this all happened the same day. And I can tell you that somebody who, you know, has a relationship with with Spo and I know very well, uh, was telling me that after Spo made his comments to us that day, which again, he took talked to us for more than 15 minutes, which is unusual. And a lot of the focus early on was about where, uh, somebody was talking to him and said, you know, that you should do that more often. And Spo didn’t even really sort of acknowledge what he did. You know what I mean? that this was a departure from previous times. And so now he’s doing it again after the outsiders like us, but others noted that he did it the last time and yet he’s doubling down on it, but not to others. That’s the thing that’s that’s interesting. Right. Right. He’s not doing it to others. Like he has not said really a critical thing about any other I mean it’s not his new managing style. Sorry to interrupt you. No, Norm Powell invented basketball basically. Like I mean like like uh you know Tyler working hard to get back. Yovic I mean I the I mean gushing about Yovic gushing about Larson. Um gushing about Drew talking about his superpowers. Uh Bam is uh growth as a captain and all the rest of this stuff. And then and even and the one I think that’s getting he fans a little bit is Hakez who has not looked good to me. I’m sorry. Right. Okay. I he did the thing again. They want him to go more down. They want him to play more downhill. And there was one of these sequences and Brady and I just looked at each other at the game where he’s he was down and he spin spin spin spin nowhere to go and just try to save yourself basically out of that like and and yet he I think spo praised Hawz too. I so it’s, you know, again, we don’t see everything, but it does seem like it’s directed right now at one person. And when you add in the context of the whiteside situation, and I I want to say again, I don’t think he’s this is not Hassan. I I I think this is a softspoken person. Uh he’s not as brash as Assan was in any way. I I don’t think not as silly. not as silly, not problematic, seems introspective. I tried to engage him on his trip to Egypt this summer when he was on the podcast. He didn’t really give us a lot to go go with, but obviously you want to see the world. Okay, this is this is nothing personal whatsoever. So maybe that’s why Spo’s being really hard on him. Maybe. But I I wonder and we’ll get to this on the other side. Like is there any concern? I mean, this could go either way, right? Like I mean let’s talk about that on the other side of this because it’s I’m not saying it’s not it’s an approach that a coach shouldn’t take because most coaches do take this approach. It’s just unusual that this particular coach has been taking. All right. Here’s your approach if you’re going to go out for a night with drinks or a day for drinks or anything like that along those lines. We got to tell you about Zebiotics. Okay. We’ve been talking about this for a little while. And why? Because first thing it’s groundbreaking. Uh, Zebiotics pre-alcohol probiotic drink is the world’s first genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by PhD scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Here’s how it works. When you drink, alcohol gets converted into a toxic byproduct in the gut. It’s a bu buildup of this byproduct, not dehydration. 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So, if you’re unsatisfied for any reason, they’ll refund your money, no questions asked. Remember to head to ziotics.com/ontheonthefloor and use the code onthe floor at checkout for 15% off here. Here’s the weird position that they’re in. Okay, they drafted him 15th overall. Obviously, there was enough of a consensus in the organization to do that. So there’s a commitment to the player. There’s also interest from outside suitors in the player. We know that the Suns had interest in wear. I don’t know if I agree with Barry’s information entirely about how this was kind of the breaking point in that trade. It’s I I I heard it was had more to do with the fact that the the Heat, you know, were trying to give them Wiggins and or Rosir to make the contracts work and the Suns didn’t want any part of either. And that meant that he’d had to stack everything. Yeah. Just to match contracts is what you’re saying. And that included every young player because that’s the only way that they could accumulate enough salary to match salaries. Correct. And that would have included so Wear and Yovic would have been two of those that would have been included. So this idea that one was off limits. I mean I I had heard they didn’t want to trade where yes, but I don’t I don’t know that it’s that specific that it’s okay was just about that. It never really got to that, my understanding. Okay. I mean, there was no false reporting about how Heismith was the dealbreaker. No, they were trying they were trying to trade Heismith uh in a variety of different ways and almost would have traded him to the Clippers uh for Norm right after that if the Clippers had wanted him and then ended up trading him with a second round pick. So, Haywood Highmith was not the deal breakaker. But where okay, they didn’t want to give up where, but there was interest in wear. But I don’t know if you keep talking publicly about how a player doesn’t have a motor, you’re kind of DeAndre Aening him, right? Yeah. It’s it’s dam because not only if you say things publicly like if we’re taking note of it, then there’s people that are employed by other organizations that their job is to make note of that kind of stuff, right? So like um there it’s going to be known throughout the league. And then you’re also up against this um kind of uh mythology that if you can’t make it in Miami, right, there’s doubt that you can make it anywhere else because they they squeeze the most out of everybody. And like so if you can’t uh kind of get in there and be maximized then that could be a you problem because a lot of guys who have moved on elsewhere trying to think okay I’ll just find a better situation there’s not a lot of success stories to go from right so you kind of do have to buy in and then you see so many success stories on the other side of that so that that’s what gets interesting I think the heat are not as um tied to him in trade talks as people would make it seem. team. I just don’t think that there’s been real concrete deals to be had. But um yeah, that that’s going to be something to monitor like how how much do you hold him off limits in conversations? If you could really improve a team where if you think Bam Tyler and you know a good squad around them with another lead scoreer can get you anywhere. It does he become better as a as a young trade ship? That’s going to be a conversation if he continues to get kind of his hand slapped verbally, but also um we’re going to see whether he starts or not, where his what but his role is, how many minutes per game he plays. I’m glad you mentioned that because here’s the other part of it. You’ve just committed to Nikico Yoic for four years at $62 million. Nikico Yovic is going to be a starter for the foreseeable future. you you didn’t commit $62 million to him to be a sixth or seventh man. Okay. So spoke can spoke can talk about you know how well you know it’s not it’s not necessarily permanent and all that stuff. No. Hakez of the starting lineup is not necessarily permanent for sure. But I I but but okay but but but here’s the thing. If you’ve committed to Yoic and you’re not committing to a front line of where Bam and Yovic, which I think is very difficult to commit to, particularly while Wiggins is the on the roster who gives you actual small forward things, right? Like that’s like he’s he’s a prototypical wing and he looks rejuvenated, by the way. We probably should pot on him. So, as long as he’s going to be here, then you’re not going to start you. And you have Hero and Powell. Okay. And you have DaVon as a plug-in guy. So, you’re not going to start uh Yoic at the three. You’re not You may he may play some minutes there. Okay. The the other issue, and um I’ll just sneak this in, is that if he and Bam are not going to play a ton together and he’s just his backup, right? I guess you do have some insurance there, but you do have to play differently. Like if all of a sudden Bam was out like the switching stuff kind of goes away and you have to basically play and drop with wear. You’re not going to do all that switching with him. So it it’s it limits I guess how much he can impact the roster in a role that’s just Bam’s backup. Okay. So good. I’m glad you said that because that leads to the next point which is that if wear is essentially going to be a backup center now right behind an all-star then you are more willing to include him in trade talks aren’t you? I mean, if if you’re looking at the future construction of the roster and you’re saying you’ve committed now four years to Yoic, you’ve committed to Bam, you uh you you may, you know, Wiggins is one more year after this, but okay. But then and then you’ve got you may make commitments to Hero and Powell in some way. Uh but but you still don’t think that’s enough to get you over the hump because it isn’t. Okay. and you still need that guy, then the guy you’re going to trade is somebody whose role is reasonably limited for the foreseeable future, right? Like, and that’s the catch 22 because if he doesn’t play well and he doesn’t have any role, then how’s his value look? So, that’s that’s the conundrum. You it almost has to be a team if if you’re going to go this direction. And I’m not saying they’re there yet. They’re trying to get the most out of him. We should be clear about that. Yeah, they’re trying to get the most out of him. But if you’re going to eventually get this team to a certain level, it doesn’t look like that level is necessarily going to be reached with just the guys that they have or with some wham wham combination or something along those lines. And so eventually, I guess it’s to get where as good as you can get him and then some team that fell in love with him in the draft also happens to have the guy that you want and similarly to Phoenix, I guess maybe there’s a couple other teams out there, they have a desperate need for a center and says, “Okay, the Heat got this much out of him, but there’s just not the avenue for him because Bam’s there.” So, we’ll we’ll build on what they did. That feels like where it would go, no pun intended. I I just it’s it’s all a little tricky here. Um because also, you know, the other players on the team, again, they’re not not all of them been here a long time, but like they’re not all accustomed to spo publicly critiquing somebody. And what you have to hope again is that where takes it the right way which he has said publicly he will but then it’s not tr always translating and so and that it doesn’t become something where it’s a topic of conversation behind the scenes with the players also because that’s not healthy and then there’s a loss of confidence from the player or in the player. And I’m going to trust Spolster on this obviously because I do on most things. Uh and I’ve said I I I think he’s he’s the longest tenure coach in the league. He can say whatever the f he wants. Okay? And and there is a respect level from this generation towards him that he has earned and he should use it. But there’s no question it’s different. There’s no question it’s different. He he is. And eventually, Greg, it will pivot. Here’s what’s going to happen. I’m just projecting this, okay? And we’ll see. Eventually, the media will go further with it and Spo will start defending him. Yeah. And that’s what he should do. I mean, you gotta protect your guys, but I think that this is it’s just it’s it’s interesting because it’s not like I said earlier, it’s not his new managing style. It’s not like he’s coming out. Although I agree with you, he should probably lean in to calling people out a little bit more because he does have that kind of um you know cache and he is that that level of coach where I think he can call guys out and there’s very few that can look at him and say um who are you to tell me about winning? You know, like there there’s just not a lot of those guys. Uh but because he’s not doing that with anyone else, um it just it sticks out like a sore thumb. And so we we’ll see how the the season goes cuz initially they’re going to try to have him in the rotation and so he’s going to get an opportunity here. Uh and so that that that’s it’s going to make the early part of the season interesting. Uh particularly just with with wear and his status going forward. Well, and if he does what he already did in one preseason game, which is that Precious comes out in the second half instead of where because he just wants a guy to play hard, then it’s going to become more of a topic of conversation. I’ll leave you with this and then we’ll close this. Thanks for our sponsor Zatics. Use the code on the floor price. Use the code 5 fiv. When is the last time he criticized Bam or Tyler about anything publicly? Anything? Slightest thing. Can you remember one ever? No. I mean, he’s always talked about guys having to get through challenges and whatever those challenges are XYZ, but never. No, you’re right. And and that’s point taken. I mean, did he about BAM in in uh in like the first couple years when he was a backup to Assan? I I can’t remember it. Maybe I wasn’t around one of those years as much. No, no, no, no, no. If anything, I think that what if he in on Truth Serum, he would have said, “Gosh, I wish Hassan would just follow what Bam’s doing.” Well, they all they they they all felt that way. That’s why they drafted Bam. That’s I I I’ve told that story. somebody who’s been with the Heat for three decades came up to me at the night they drafted BAM and said, “You’re going to like this one. He’s the anti-Hassan.” Uh, we did more research on him than we’ve done on anybody else. So, yeah. I mean, I think uh Yeah. I I I I can’t remember it. I’m sorry. I I can’t remember it. I can’t I cannot I can’t remember him criticizing I mean, even Tyler’s defense. Yeah. And and I think it’s important that we just stick to heat draft picks because like you said, those are guys that they did research on, homework on, and came to a consensus on enough to draft. He defended Mo Harkas at Avery Bradley when they were with Miami. This is different. There’s no question about it. We’re not making a mountain out of a molehill here. There he’s he’s he’s adding to the he’s he’s he’s adding layers to it. So that’s why we thought we’d comment on it again. All right, thanks to everybody for listening, watching all that stuff. Like I said, the new Pella Lararsson hockey hockey haime hockey hamies uh Panthers just dropped the dropped the puck on a new season, raised the banner, so I apologize for that. Haimey Hawkins Jr. and Larson interviews, they’re posted, so uh check those out as well. Have a good one, everyone. Thank you for listening to the five on the floor on the five reason sports network. After all, someone needs to listen to my dad.

After calling publicly for more professionalism from Kel’el Ware during summer league, Erik Spoelstra has doubled down in the preseason. Spoelstra doesn’t typically critique players in public. Ethan Skolnick and Greg Sylvander analyze the reasons why Spoelstra is doing it with Ware, and how it could pay off, or backfire.

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