Q: So Ira, tell us again why Kel’el Ware shouldn’t play more. – Bob.
A: Can’t recall putting it that way. Can recall phrasing it as the minutes, only two years in, still have to be earned. Thursday night they were earned. And not to in any way denigrate the effort, but never lose sight of the competition. Now, do it against the Hornets and Pistons in the next two and there won’t even be a debate. But this was heartening, with Kel’el Ware active on both ends and helping to hold it together with Bam Adebayo on the bench in foul trouble. You certainly saw the effort and aggression on both ends Thursday night. Now? More. It’s the NBA way.
Q: I, for one, find the number of NBA teams tanking (and the number of compromised games) really disturbing. At what point does having coaches pull their best players out of a game (in the interest of losing) transition to a coach directing a player to miss a free throw or commit a turnover? Is it really such a big stretch from one to the other? Something needs to be done about it. – Ray, Deerfield Beach.
A: I am sure it won’t reach that point, because the players’ union would never stand for a player’s statistics being compromised, and therefore potential earnings being compromised, because of an order from a coach. But it’s almost reached a point where players on the tankers know that if they do too well early, they might sit late. And that, well, is absurd. As it is, bad teams also have an ability to be innately bad, as the tanking Nets showed Thursday night with their eight first-period turnovers. But, man, there is some bad basketball going on these days all around the NBA.
Q: The Heat have gone all season without a true backup at the post position. Who are the best available players they could possibly sign after releasing Terry Rozier? – Nate, Miami.
A: Um, well, Chris Boucher? Alex Len? Orlando Robinson? Malik Williams? James Wiseman? Charles Bassey? Bol Bol? Tony Bradley? Jahlil Okafor? Bruno Fernando? In other words, nothing to rush out for, with better options in house. Of course, the best option would be getting Nikola Jovic right. But at this point, Keshad Johnson would be a next man up in the middle if needed. And the reality is that if Bam Adebayo is not available, the Heat aren’t going anywhere, anyway. If the Heat do waive Terry Rozier and fill that spot, it likely would be, as much as some might not want to hear this, the best available player, or, more to the point, the best available developmental player. As it is, the Heat did just fine Thursday night as Bam Adebayo sat with foul trouble. Of course, that also was the Nets.