Already without guard Tyler Herro, the Miami Heat suffered another blow to their rotation with center Kel’el Ware ruled out of Tuesday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings due to tightness in his right hamstring.
It is the first absence of the season for Ware, who was moved to a reserve role the previous six games, with his minutes reduced as Bam Adebayo’s backup.
With undrafted two-way player Vlad Goldin, the center out of FAU and Michigan, with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, it again exposed the Heat’s lack of big bodies.
As it is, power forward Nikola Jovic had been reduced to four minutes of mop-up duty at the end of Monday night’s 135-112 loss to the Golden State Warriors at the start of this five-game trip that continues Thursday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Ware played 18 minutes Monday night against the Warriors, closing with 15 points and four rebounds. Since being moved to the bench, he has not played more than Monday night’s 18 minutes in any of those six bench appearances.
The Heat have an open roster spot and enough room under the punitive NBA luxury tax to add a 15th player to their standard roster, but continue to operate one player short of that maximum.
As it is, the Heat have had their primary rotation available for only four games this season, with Herro currently away from the team due to a rib injury.