Miami Heat’s Kel’el Ware Rises In Rookie Of The Year Rankings

After spending the first half of the season on the bench, Miami Heat rookie Kel’el Ware has finally gotten his chance to shine with his playing time continuing to increase.

The Heat are 21-21, which has prompted coach Erik Spoelstra to lean more into his younger core players for more upside amid Jimmy Butler’s trade talks.

Ware initially was third-string behind Bam Adebayo and Kevin Love. However, Love’s increasing age and less mobility and effectiveness gave room for Ware to start taking over as the Heat’s main backup big man behind Adebayo.

Longtime league writer Steve Aschburner had this to say about Ware in this week's Kia Rookie of the Year Ladder on NBA.com

“The 7-footer from North Little Rock, Arkansas, played little or not at all in Miami’s first 25 games,” Aschburner wrote. “But his minutes have climbed from 6.9 before December to 22.1 this month, and his production has followed: 12.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game in January.”

Over his last five games, Ware has averaged 16.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks on 52 percent shooting and 39 percent from three-point range.

His last two games were most impressive. On Sunday, Ware finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks on 52.6 percent shooting as he outperformed Victor Wembanyama’s 21 points, 10 rebounds, and one block on 44.4 percent shooting. He held Wembanyama to 2/10 shooting when he guarded him. Ware followed this performance with 20 points, 15 rebounds, and two blocks on 47.1 percent shooting against the Portland Trailblazers. He is the youngest rookie center since Dwight Howard to record at least 20 points, 15 rebounds and zero turnovers.

The ladder has Ware ranked No. 8 after not being ranked all year. If he continues to play this well, it won’t be long until he’s in the top five.

4-TIME NBA CHAMPION EXPLAINS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STEVE KERR AND ERIK SPOELSTRA

The Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra and Golden State Warriors' Steve Kerr are easily among the most successful active coaches.

Kerr has won four championships and made five Finals appearances in his decade leading the Warriors. Spoelstra's won two titles and led the Heat to six Finals appearances since taking over in 2008.

Andre Iguodala played for both teams and was a key player in successful playoff runs under both coaches. OnThe OGs podcast, he shared his perspective on the differences between the two philosophies.

“A lot of the things I do post-career is rooted in Heat Culture,” Iguodala said. “Where it’s like, if you work harder than your opponent, the more likely you’re going to win.

"Now, there are some residuals you gotta watch out for and make sure you cover for because Steve was more carefree and spirit-free; we’re going to come in listening to music and great vibes," Iguodala continued. "Steve is like, I want you to come here happy every single day. Like this should be your escape.”

In contrast, Iguodala thought Heat Culture was more of the opposite. It was hard work, the practices were rarely joyful, and it wasn’t a carefree mentality like in Golden State.

“And the Heat Culture is like, nah, we’re going to make this the hardest possible situation,” Iguodala said. “The game is gonna be easy. We couldn’t wait for the games.

"The game is so much easier than practice," he added. "But one thing about Spo is, he’s probably the most prepared coach I’ve ever seen.”

FORMER NBA PLAYER BELIEVES MIAMI HEAT’S JIMMY BUTLER NO LONGER PLAYING BOTH ENDS

As the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaches, the Heat still seem unwilling to settle for a weaker return for Jimmy Butler.

The Heat have no interest in offering a maximum contract extension due to his consistently missed time in the regular season. Butler turns 36 next season, which means his potential extension of over $100 million would last until he's almost 40. Because of this, many teams haven’t been willing to risk their best packages so far.

Butler will likely play out his final year for the Heat and has at least decided not to cause any more harm to the team to risk another suspension without pay. However, playing beyond coasting through the regular season as he has done yearly for the Heat is unlikely.

On his Club 520 podcast, former NBA player Jeff Teague questioned whether Butler would take an even further step back from playing his complete game for his remaining time with the Heat.

“I think he’s taking a route where he’s just going to play defense so they can’t fine him,” Teague said. “If I’m open, I’ll shoot it. I know Jimmy. I know what he’s doing. He’s like, y’all want to pay me like a third option? I’m going to be your third option.”

In Sunday's against the San Antonio Spurs, Butler finished with eight points, three rebounds, and seven assists on 42.9 percent shooting and missed his only attempt from three-point range.

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.