{"id":694678,"date":"2026-04-02T21:39:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T21:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/694678\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T21:39:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T21:39:27","slug":"the-heat-are-ignoring-their-best-fix-and-its-costing-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/694678\/","title":{"rendered":"The Heat Are Ignoring Their Best Fix And It\u2019s Costing Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Miami Heat are who we think they are. They are currently 10th in the East and their season is slowly slipping away. The Heat will be in the NBA Play-in Tournament for the 4 straight year. <\/p>\n

The Kevin O\u2019Connor Show featuring Kevin O\u2019Connor and Tom Haberstroh talked about the Miami Heat and they zeroed in on one thing: the underused pairing of Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware.<\/p>\n

Back in late February and early March, the duo of Bam and Kel’el actually looked promising. The two big lineups brought energy, size, and defensive versatility, and it felt like something the Heat could build on. According to O\u2019Connor, it was trending toward becoming a bigger part of Miami\u2019s rotation down the stretch, but as of late, that’s not the case. <\/p>\n

Kevin O\u2019Connor and Tom Haberstroh on the HEAT\u2019s Bam Adebayo\u2013Kel\u2019el Ware pairing:<\/p>\n

\u201cBack in February-Early March, We had talked about how the Bam Adebayo\u2013Kel\u2019el Ware frontcourt was starting to excel. But over this stretch, they\u2019ve played 9 games together and only 68 minutes\u2026 I\u2019m\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/HdH0qgEiWO<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Heat Diehards (@HeatDiehards) April 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The Miami heat are currently on a 3-8 skid, and Bam and Ware have only shared the floor in 9 of those games and for only 68 total minutes. <\/p>\n

In that time, the Defensive Rating is 106.8, the Offensive Rating is 104.2, and their net rating is negative. The offense hasn\u2019t clicked, no doubt. But here\u2019s the thing: the Heat\u2019s offense hasn\u2019t clicked all year. Miami has been consistently undersized, and it shows up in the worst moments, getting bullied inside, giving up second-chance points, and struggling against bigger frontcourts like Cleveland or Boston. That\u2019s not a scheme problem. That\u2019s a personnel problem.<\/p>\n

So why not invest in something that at least helps fix your biggest issue?<\/p>\n

\"war\"<\/p>\n

Mar 6, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) looks to pass as he is defended by Miami Heat center Kel\u2019el Ware (7) during the second half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

O\u2019Connor even pointed out how surprising it is that Miami hasn\u2019t leaned more into the pairing, especially considering how bad the team defense has been overall. If your identity is slipping, why not double down on something that could stabilize it?<\/p>\n

Haberstroh took it a step further, suggesting there might be something deeper going on, possibly a lack of trust from Erik Spoelstra toward Ware. He also mentioned the team doesn\u2019t look connected defensively, which could explain the hesitation.<\/p>\n

The Heat need to just play Ware, he isn\u2019t perfect, he has missed rotations, has offensive limitations, but that\u2019s part of development, and Miami desperately needs to figure out what they have in him.<\/p>\n

The Heat have no reason to be conservative. Even if Ware is making mistakes, you have to see what the Bam and Ware duo looks like and give them extended minutes and opportunites. Ware is still only 21 years old, he has plenty of time to figure this out and growth is not always linear. <\/p>\n