Inside The Heat

NBA Rookie Rankings Provide Reminder of Miami Heat’s Frustrating Kel’El Ware Choice

Jake Elman

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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Several things can be true regarding Miami Heat rookie center Kel’el Ware’s development.

For starters, there’s no shame in coach Erik Spoelstra letting the first-round pick grow his game rather than rush into things and suffer in the process.

Another fact about Ware’s rookie season: several players selected after him in June’s draft are already more successful. 

In fairness, that isn’t necessarily a high bar when Ware only averages 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds. However, it’s one thing for the No. 1 pick (Atlanta Hawks forward Zacharie Risacher) or No. 4 (San Antonio Spurs point guard Stephon Castle) to be putting up better numbers than Ware, who the Heat selected 15th.

NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner released his weekly rookie rankings ladder Nov. 27, selecting who he believes are the 10 best first-year players thus far. Five of the 10—Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (selected No. 16; ranked No. 1 on the ladder), Los Angeles Lakers forward Dalton Knecht (selected No. 17; ranked No. 3); Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva (selected No. 18; ranked No. 10); New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (selected No. 21; ranked No. 6); and Memphis Grizzlies forward Jayden Wells (selected No. 39; ranked No. 2)—all earned spots despite being selected after Ware.

None of this is to say McCain would still be the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year had the Heat picked him 15th. Wells may not average over 12 points if he played in Miami instead of Memphis.

However, those players might be more useful now on a 7-8 Heat team than Ware, who is fighting just to get onto the court. McCain’s presence would potentially be helpful given Terry Rozier’s season-long shooting slump.

None of this is to say the Heat should regret selecting Ware. He still has plenty of time to grow into a dominant big man—or at least an invaluable contributor to a playoff team.

Still, it’s not hard to understand why some Heat fans are immensely frustrated with the center’s lack of action. We’ll see if he earns more minutes in the coming weeks, especially if back spasms keep Kevin Love out for the foreseeable future.

BUTLER HAS NEW LOOKALIKE

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler apparently has a new lookalike.

Social media compared him to New York Giants tight end Jordan Murray. It began when footage surfaced of Murray during Sunday's to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Here's the video:

ADEBAYO PRAISES ROZIER FOR NEW ROLE

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier may have a new role, and Bam Adebayo likes what he’s seen thus far.

After spending the season’s first month starting at point guard, Rozier came off the bench Tuesday night. He scored 17 points on 7 of 9 shooting over 20 minutes in the 109-106 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Tuesday marked Rozier’s return to the court following a two-game absence with a foot injury. Rozier hadn’t come off the bench for the Heat since last January.

Whether it was the new role or simply a strong night, Tuesday was Rozier’s best shooting performance in weeks. The 17 points were his most since a 15-point outing Nov. 11.

“He’s doing what he usually does,” Adebayo told reporters. “He’s being Terry, he’s being himself. He’s playing basketball. That’s what happens when you see the ball go in a couple times.”

COULD HEAT AND CELTICS MAKE SURPRISING TRADE?

The Celtics are also the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-3. So why is there any pressure to make additional moves ahead of February's trade deadline? While nothing major is needed, an extra big man to contribute solid minutes in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis could help.

Porzingis made his regular season debut against LA, but an inconsistent past has many doubting his ability to remain healthy. FanSided proposed the following deal between the Celtics and Heat, allowing Boston to solidify their frontcourt:

Heat receive: Jaden Springer, two second-round picks

Celtics receive: Kevin Love

Do you think the Heat should make this trade?

MORE HEAT NEWS

Controversial Bam Adebayo Prop Bet Result Leaves Bettors Outraged

Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra Gushes Over Rookie Kel’el Ware

Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.

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Jake Elman
JAKE ELMAN

Jake Elman is a veteran sports journalist and graduate of Florida Atlantic University’s journalism program. In recent years, he has covered the NFL for EndGame360 and served as the sports content lead for ExpressVPN. He also covered the Lane Kiffin years at FAU for the Palm Beach Post.