Miami Heat’s Kel’el Ware Gets High Praise In Rookie Ratings

Amid rebuilds in the NBA, consistent winning is always challenging when a team moves on from its best player.

This was the case for the Miami Heat, who traded Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 5. Fans didn’t have much to cheer for beyond Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo until Kel’el Ware finally earned a starting position.

Ware has averaged 8.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks on 54.8 percent shooting and 34.2 percent from three-point range.

He has displayed great chemistry alongside Herro, giving him another lob threat whenever he drives to the basket. Ware’s connection with Adebayo is even better because the Heat have had a defensive rating of 108.3 when they’re both on the court, which ranks second in the league. As the starting center, it has allowed Adebayo to focus on his offense much more as a power forward, which has resulted in one of the best stretches of his career.

Ware ranked high in Grant Hughes from Bleacher Report's rookie grades.

“An athletic and powerful finisher inside, Ware also showcases just enough stretch potential to kindle excitement about his offensive ceiling,” Hughes said. “A 34.2 percent hit rate on threes may not seem like much, but when paired with Ware’s interior finishing, solid rebound rates (76th percentile on the defensive glass), and shot-blocking, it more than suffices.”

Ware received an A-minus grade.

“If he keeps this up, the 7-footer will likely finish among the top five in Rookie of the Year voting,” Hughes explained. “Not bad for a No. 15 pick.”

BILL SIMMONS CLAIMS TERRU ROZIER MAY BE THE “WORST ROTATIONAL PLAYER” IN NBA

The Kyle Lowry for Terry Rozier trade last year went from seemingly a steal for the Miami Heat to an absolute waste of a first-round pick for second-round pick production.

Last season, while on the Charlotte Hornets, Rozier played the best basketball of his career. He averaged 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.6 assists on 45.9 percent shooting and 35.8 percent from three-point range. Rozier had career highs in points, assists, and two-point percentage.

Once traded to the Heat, his numbers decreased in several categories, which was expected considering he went from a top-two option with the Hornets to sharing the court with three 20-point scorers in Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo.

It’s a year later, and Rozier has only gotten significantly worse. On The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons hosted a draft of the worst contracts in the NBA with Ethan Strauss and Wosny Lambre. They explained Rozier’s remaining two years for a $51.5 million contract as one of their highest picks in this draft. Strauss explained why he understood the appeal for trading for Rozier’s production in Charlotte, even though it has been to the Heat’s detriment this season.

“On the face of it, $25 million bucks for a shooting guard who is capable of being a prolific scorer is okay,” Strauss said. “The problem is, we have a sizzle reel from this season that shows him actively undermining the ability of the Miami Heat to win basketball games.”

Simmons went into greater detail and questioned if he can still play the sport effectively based on watching him play this season.

“It looks like he completely lost his ability to play basketball,” Simmons explained. “I looked up when they made the trade last year because I remember thinking, getting for what they gave up, I would much rather do that than give all the (expletive) you had to for Damian Lillard, which included Tyler Herro. When they traded for him last year, he played 30 Charlotte games: 23.2 points, 36 percent from three, and he was playing awesome. This year, his stats are almost half: 11.8 points a game, shooting 40 percent, and shooting 29 percent from three. Eye test wise, he might be the worst rotation guy in the league.”

MEDIA PERSONALITY CLAIMS MIAMI HEAT ARE “RELIEVED” JIMMY BUTLER IS GONE

How impactful and successful Jimmy Butler’s time with the Miami Heat cannot be understated.

However, the Heat knew despite the success, Butler was challenging and unpredictable to deal with daily. His high maintenance seemed to be a price they were willing to pay until it was clear they wouldn’t win a championship with him.

The Heat traded Butler to the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 6 for Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and a protected first-round draft pick.

Media personality Dan Le Batard on his show shared some insight on how the Heat have felt during and after his time in Miami ended.

“The relief in that building that Jimmy Butler is gone, not just because of what’s happened over the last couple months, but because of how things were bent to him,” Le Batard explained. “If you talk to enough Heat people, you will know they felt like they were dealing with something. And they were not saying this publicly in any way, an unstable ingredient that they used as a furnace and fuel to get a championship. Then when it became about money problems, nobody wanted to be at work.”

The Warriors have thrived since the trade, as Stephen Curry seemingly got the help he needed. They’re 10-2 with Butler on their team. The Heat have trended in the opposite direction, as their roster is shaping up for the future, and they’ve been 4-8 since the trade.

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook