Inside The Heat

Bill Simmons Among Critics Of Miami Heat Drafting Kel'el Ware

Shandel Richardson

Nov 20, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) dribbles as Memphis Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer (24) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Nov 20, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) dribbles as Memphis Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer (24) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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In the last 10 years, the Miami Heat drafted Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez.

Adebayo is a three-time All-Star and two-time Olympian. Herro is a Sixth Man of the Year and may get his first All-Star nod this season. Jaquez is a first-team All-Rookie selection and was the steal of last year's draft.

The Heat know what they are doing in June, but some are questioning their latest draft. Media personality Bill Simmons, who runs a podcast for The Ringer, thinks the Heat may have erred by choosing center Kel'el Ware.

The two players selected immediately after were guard Jared McCain (Philadelphia 76ers) and guard Dalton Knecht (Los Angeles Lakers).

"In the old days, if McCain was on the board at 15," Simmons said. "Forget about Knecht. I like Knecht. He's 24. They already have shooters. He doesn't really play defense. I get it. McCain was the most Miami pick. I couldn't believe it in the moment. Go back to my Twitter feed. I was going nuts about McCain. 

The Heat were mostly linked with McCain before the draft. He fit the mold, especially after playing at Duke. This season, he's already a key contributor for the struggling Sixers. The same with Knecht, who had a career-high 37 points earlier this week.

"I would bet anything McCain was going to be a good player and they passed on him," Simmons said. "Maybe it's nothing, everybody misses on picks. They had Herro. They took Bam. The got Jaquez. They're clearly really good at drafting and they whiffed on this pick with two guys that really could've helped them ... It's like the horror move ... I'm just not looking under my bed for the Heat."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here