The Miami Heat are off to a stellar start this NBA season and are shaping up to be a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. It’s been a group effort for Erik Spoelstra’s team, especially as it deals with multiple injuries to key players, but the legendary head coach singled out the young big man for taking a giant leap in his second season.
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Erik Spoelstra Revealed the Secret to Kel’el Ware’s Improvement
With their victory over the Dallas Mavericks, the Miami Heat moved to 12-6 overall and have won five straight games. Tyler Herro made his season debut on Monday night for a team that is currently the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
There have been several pleasant surprises for Spoelstra’s squad through 18 games. One of the most encouraging signs has been center Kel’el Ware’s second-year leap after a promising rookie season. The 2024 first-round pick has stuffed the stat sheet in three straight games and is now on pace to average a double-double this season.
Kel’el Ware’s last 3 games:
20 PTS – 18 REB – 3 BLK – 50% FG
20 PTS – 16 REB – 2 STL – 54% FG
20 PTS – 14 REB – 2 STL – 53% FG
WOW pic.twitter.com/ObqbkUmPp9
— The Lead (@TheLeadSM) November 25, 2025
Ware has added a new dimension to the Heat on both ends of the floor, and Spoelstra has taken notice of the 21-year-old’s improvement. In a recent interview, the future Hall of Fame coach went into detail on the secret to Ware’s development.
“He’s being much more intentional,” Spoelstra said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect basketball. Nobody plays perfect basketball. But the intentions have to be there, attention to detail. He’s rebounding. He’s making his presence felt with his size. He’s stacking up good day after good day.
“And the important thing about these games, he’s feeling the importance of the games. He’s playing meaningful minutes. He understands the responsibility to play well. And he’s recognizing if it doesn’t go well, what he needs to correct. That’s a big-time improvement from last year, where he wasn’t really recognizing what was happening.”
Ware Is Spearheading a New Era for the Miami Heat
Ware currently has the best defensive rating on the Heat, who rank fourth overall in this advanced metric. This group has gotten off to this fast start even while managing injuries to its two best players, Herro and Bam Adebayo.
It’s clear that the Heat have fully moved on from the Jimmy Butler era, and now they are contending in an Eastern Conference that, on paper, seems more open than usual. Size, athleticism, and versatility are absolutely must-haves on any roster with postseason aspirations, and Ware has all of those traits, including a deft touch from the outside.
The future certainly is bright for the Heat’s starting center as he looks to continue this momentum. The Heat better take advantage of Ware while he’s still on his rookie contract, because he’s about to be a lot more expensive in the near future.