Inside The Heat

Ware did this come from? Unlikely NBA preseason leading scorer

Ethan J. Skolnick|
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Miami Heat

A second-year player has been in the spotlight all summer, into fall.

From the time that Erik Spoelstra uncharacteristically, publicly called out that player's professionalism in Las Vegas, to a preseason that has featured that player in major minutes, it's been something to watch. And Kel'el Ware is definitely getting attention.

Entering Friday night's play -- including the Heat's final preseason game, at home against Memphis -- Ware leads all NBA players in points per game.

Ware has started only one game, but may start again Friday with Bam Adebayo nursing a sore knee. The high scoring total is somewhat reflective of Ware playing more minutes than most NBA regulars typically do in the preseason, as Spoelstra tries to get him to focus on the little, winning things, but it still speaks to his potential. Due to Ware's length and leaping ability, he's an able lob threat, but he's also shown some touch on his hook shots and his jumper -- taking it out past the arc at times.

Even with Ware's production, it's still likely that Nikola Jovic (now healed from a back ailment) replaces him as a starter for the season opener in Orlando on Oct. 22. But Ware has shown he can serve as something of a hub for the second unit, provided that he stays engaged on the glass and with his defensive assignments -- and a point guard can get him the ball. Ware's best connection seems to be with rookie Kasparas Jakucionis, which bodes well for the future but may not pay off yet.

Ware and Jakucionis are just 40 years old.... between them.

But this is why Spoelstra and the Heat are pushing Ware so hard -- the potential is obvious. What's required now is consistency, not just in scoring, but everything.

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Ethan J. Skolnick
ETHAN J. SKOLNICK

Ethan has covered all major sports -- in South Florida and beyond -- since 1996 and is one of the longest-tenured fully credentialed members of the Miami Heat. He has covered, in total, more than 30 NBA Finals, Super Bowls, World Series and Stanley Cup Finals. After working full-time for the Miami Herald, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Bleacher Report and several other outlets, he founded the Five Reasons Sports Network in 2019 and began hosting the Five on the Floor podcast as part of that network. The podcast is regularly among the most downloaded one-team focused NBA podcasts in the nation, and the network is the largest independent sports outlet in South Florida, by views, listens and social media reach. He has a B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. from Columbia University. TWITTER: @EthanJSkolnick and @5ReasonsSports EMAIL: fllscribe@gmail.com

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