![\"Kel'el](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-5-3-1.00PM-edited.jpg\")
(Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n(Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
During the Miami Heat\u2019s Jan. 19 meeting against the San Antonio Spurs, three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo and rookie Kel\u2019el Ware saw their first extended minutes sample\u2013something many were wishing would occur after the Heat selected the 7-foot big No. 15 overall nearly seven months prior.<\/p>\n
The duo rallied them back from a double-digit deficit in the first half. Heat head coach Spoelstra opted to start them in the second half together for the first time, posting a 169.2 offensive rating while outscoring San Antonio by 11 in their six second-half minutes together. Miami\u2019s lead eventually ballooned to 24, so they didn\u2019t play together the rest of the way.<\/p>\n
But Miami\u2019s longtime head coach saw more than enough to start them together the rest of the season. The results were mixed, but they posted a 5.8 NET Rating with a 110.1 defensive rating the rest of the way (including play-in, postseason). As a result, they look to be the team\u2019s frontcourt of the future:<\/p>\n
Heat captain Bam Adebayo was very complimentary of Kel\u2019el Ware\u2019s ceiling defensively:<\/p>\n
The Heat captain spoke about Ware during his end-of-season press conference this week, stating that he believes Ware could be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year\u2013an award Adebayo has finished in the top-5 in each of his last five seasons entering 2024-25.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike I said before, I think he can be a great player in this league,\u201d Adebayo said.<\/a> \u201cHe can be one of the ones where we\u2019ll constantly be talking about every year of, you know, he could be in the contention (for the Defensive Player of the Year award) because he\u2019ll think at some point a guy got a layup and then it\u2019s four rows into the stands.\u201d<\/p>\n Ware, who turned 21-years-old at the start of their first-round series against Cleveland, averaged 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks this year across 64 games, including 36 starts. After the All-Star break, he posted 10.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks on 60.5 percent true shooting. Ware earned nearly a handful of votes <\/a>for the Rookie of the Year award, which San Antonio\u2019s Stephon Castle won.<\/p>\n The offense with him alongside Adebayo was still clunky because of their spacing\u2013or lack thereof. Adebayo made tremendous strides<\/a> with his 3-point shot since the turn of the calendar, but Ware\u2019s long-range shooting was far more theoretical than practical, even though he showcased soft touch inside of 15 feet.<\/p>\n That said, we saw how much Ware\u2019s presence took pressure off Adebayo on both ends of the floor; the 27-year-old still shouldered a big burden, but he was far more efficient offensively and was better defensively toward the end of the season with Ware on the floor. As the young big gets stronger, I\u2019m curious to see how he continues to develop defensively as a drop big.<\/p>\n What Ware must improve to consistently be in that conversation is his body positioning, awareness and timing on his shot blocking. His consistently defensive play wasn\u2019t the best, either. <\/p>\n Counting stats do matter if you want to be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, but how you impact your team\u2019s defense does too. The Heat were 0.8 points worse per 100 possessions when Ware was on versus when he wasn\u2019t (42nd percentile), per Cleaning The Glass. Improvement will come with more reps, but if he improves those three things (as well as getting stronger), it will be more difficult for teams to attack him in the pick-and-roll and bully him on the interior\u2013which occurred throughout this season, especially in the playoffs.<\/p>\n What do you think of Adebayo\u2019s assessment? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n To check out our other content, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter\/X\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Subscribe to our YouTube channel\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t\t\t