Erik Spoelstra decided to take out one promising Miami Heat star out of Game 4, and he explained his decision to do so.
The Miami Heat‘s season is over, as the Cleveland Cavaliers swept them in the first round. It was a lopsided series, as the Heat looked completely out of their depth.
Things became so comfortable for the Cavaliers that their players began smack-talking the Heat early on. Darius Garland blatantly took shots at Tyler Herro after Game 2.
The Heat are going to change things around. Bam Adebayo warned Pat Riley had big offseason plans to rebuild after Jimmy Butler’s massive trade.
But one of the Heat’s most exciting young stars had an interesting run in the playoffs, and Erik Spoelstra explained his decision-making around him in Game 4.
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Erik Spoelstra on pulling out Kel’el Ware
Erik Spoelstra addressed the media after the Miami Heat lost Game 4. When talking about pulling out Kel’el Ware, Spoelstra noted it was in his best interest.
While he didn’t want the decision to be an indictment of Ware’s quality as a player, he did want Ware to learn a lesson from this.
“It was just a quick one. It’s not necessarily an indictment on one player. These are fundamental lessons. The thing I like about Kel’el is that he has a coachability to him.”
“He has an ambition to him. He’s gone into a playoff series where he’s watched games, all the film, but he hasn’t been in something to really know, and going up against a really experienced center,”
“All these lessons like how to keep the ball, how to run a play, making coverages, adjustments, all the little nuances that happen in a playoff series – it’s different than the regular season.”
“Until you go through it, you don’t really understand. I wish this could have been more games because I want more experience and more lessons.”
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Ware is Miami Heat’s future
Kel’el Ware understandably struggled in his first playoff series. Ware scored just two points in Game 3 against the Cavaliers, showing that the stage was too much for him at this point.
But this experience will be a good learning moment for the young big. As the Heat look to rebuild their team, Kel’el Ware will undoubtedly be part of their plans.
He has shown a lot of potential in recent weeks, and Ware could be the Heat’s future centerpiece if he develops the right way.
Now that the Heat’s season is over, Ware can get some rest and reflect on a strong season. But come August, it’s time for him to lock in once again.