The Miami Heat are one of the surprising improvements in the 2025-2026 season. One year after scraping into the playoffs and getting blow out by the Cavs, Miami currently stands at 14-8 and hold the No. 4 spot in the East.
Aside from reinventing themselves offensively, a big reason for that improvement has been Kel’el Ware. The 21-year-old star has become a legit interior threat and rebound machine for the Heat. So far this season he’s averaging 11.8 points and 10.6 rebounds on 52.7 FG%. More importantly, he’s been playing with an energy that has clearly helped boost the team’s overall balance and confidence.
This is not an accident either. Fellow Heat star Bam Adebayo explained that this was something he spoke with Ware about during the offseason in an attempt to help the young baller’s game grow so he can contribute meaningful basketball to a franchise trying its best to get back into the championship picture.
“I was hard on him in the summer,” stated Bam during a recent interview on Old Man and The Three. “I was. Because we know what he can do. Like obviously, people see the 20 and 18 and all that. But for me, it was just like, ‘bring energy every day.’ It’s not always going to be 20 and 15. Sometimes the game, sometimes the ball just doesn’t find you.”
To be honest, it’s a good role for Bam. At 28, the three-time All-Star has been in the league long enough to see what kind of guidance younger players need. If the duo hopes to reshape the culture in Miami, they need to be on the same page. Adebayo mentioned how Ware can contribute without having to feel like a scoring machine.
“If he just brings the right energy every game, it’s impactful. It might not be 20 and 15. It might 10 and 10 with 3 blocks, but those 3 blocks could be the key 3 blocks into starting a 15-2 run for us. That’s the kind of mind shift I wanted him to get,” he said.
Fortunately, it seems like Ware is listening. “He’s figured it out because we bank on Kel’el getting at least 2-3 offensive rebounds off of just pure athleticism and a random bounce. That’s been my advice to him. Just impact winning.”
“It might not show up on the stat sheet, but we in the locker room are thankful for it. We know how impactful you were to that game,” Bam added. Truer words have never been spoken. Scorers get all the glory, but it’s been impactful role players that fight for rebounds, force turnovers, and create second chances that wins you titles in the NBA.
Miami’s still got plenty of work ahead in the up-for-grabs East, but you can feel that this team is finally moving in the right direction again. They’re tougher, more connected, and way more intentional about the little things that decide close games. If they keep leaning into that identity, the Heat might end up being a whole lot more dangerous than anyone expected when the postseason rolls around.