Inside The Heat

Miami Heat's Kel-el Ware Under Fire After Success Of Dalton Knecht, Jared McCain

Shandel Richardson

Oct 18, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) gets back on defense after a basket during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Oct 18, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) gets back on defense after a basket during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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When the Miami Heat drafted Kel'el Ware last June, it was met with a few jeers by the fans.

Ware turned those into cheers after a strong showing in the summer league in Las Vegas. A month into the season, they are once again questioning the selection.

It has nothing to do with Ware but more about the players the Heat could have drafted. The players chosen immediately after him were Jared McCain (Philadelphia 76ers) and Dalton Knecht (Los Angeles Lakers)

McCain and Knecht are both having impacts in their rookie season while Ware has yet to make it into the rotation. McCain, who many felt was the perfect fit for the Heat, is averaging 15.3 points, made three starts and played in 13 games.

Ware is averaging 2.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in limited action.

"Is it going to be perfect? No," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Ware's progress. "He still has a lot of things to learn, got to figure out where he can be most effective in his role ... He's going to improve very quickly."

And then there's Knecht, who is becoming the steal of the draft. The Lakers are reaping the same benefits as the Heat did when they selected Jaime Jaquez at No. 18 last year. Knecht is coming of a career-high, 37-point game against the Utah Jazz Tuesday.

It's way too early to say the Heat made a mistake in drafting Ware. He still has plenty time left to develop. The Heat are displaying patience but it's a little tougher for fans when watching McCain and Knecht flourish so quickly.


"We really liked the way he's developed," Spoelstra said. "He's embraced us and the work and the structure. He's also responded very well in the weight room. He's just been diligently working."

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