4 Reasons why Kel'el Ware is the next Miami Heat star

The Miami Heat are 1-5 over the past six games. While the Jimmy Butler cloud hangs over their head, one player has fully embraced the chaos and played his best ball of the season. Kel'el Ware has been a revelation during this stretch, and is shining a light into the Heat's future.

He was nowhere near the Rookie of the Year race two weeks ago but is set to fully enter the conversation with these 30-plus minute games. The chemistry he and the Captain are gaining is more important than that award.

Bam and Ware's defensive connection

Heat fans finally got what they've been asking for. Not only are Ware and Adebayo playing together, but they are also starting, and an emphasis has been placed on their growth.

These two bigs occupying the floor together allow Adebayo to play the rover role. Ware is a statue at the rim, which enables Bam to slide over and protect his yard. Ware guards the opposing center, staying mostly near the rim, while Adebayo does what he does best: blow up sets by any means.

Ware statuing the rim and pinning shots on the backboard will be more valuable when he cleans up the little rim-protecting things. Bam's been one of the most versatile defenders since he entered the league, and him hounding guys on the perimeter without sacrificing backline help will be special. Adebayo isn't thriving as a traditional rim proctor compared to last season. Opponents are shooting 69% with Adebyo at the rim, so the Ware "upgrade" came at a needed time.

Ware is defending the rim and will continue to get better

Rim protection is one of the traits that made Ware an intriguing prospect. Like Adebayo, his rim FG% isn't stellar, but there are clear areas where he can grow.

Opponents are shooting 63% with Ware at the rim. Plays like this illustrate why.

Ware is rightfully engaged with the monster Victor Wembanyama and is late to slide over to contest Harrison Barnes. He is working on staying vertical and barley attempted to raise his arms on this one.

Some of these buckets result from Ware stunting at the ball without contesting. Stunting at the ball causes offensive players to second-guess their next move when they fear getting their shot sent to the 5th row. Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson didn't flinch with Ware stunting and converted on these floaters. When Ware begins to stunt and contest simultaneously using his insane length, shots like those won't regularly see the bottom of the net. We've already seen his presence with his 9-foot-4 standing reach in play.

Coaches will add this to the scouting report as Ware's game expands

We can probably count on one hand the number of players who can disrupt a Victor Wembanyama lob, and Ware is one of them. That deflection wasn't the only noise Ware made against potential first-time All-Star Wemby—you could argue he outplayed him overall in Sunday's Heat victory. Ware dropped 25 points and eight boards, outdueling Wemby's 21 and 10.

Outplaying a superstar like Wemby is a next-level confidence builder, and Ware carried that momentum over to the next outing. The Trail Blazers blew out Miami in an embarrassing fashion, but Ware had a career night.

He broke up another lob, and Deandre Ayton was the victim this time. Ware is a crazy vertical threat, so he knows how important it is to connect on these alley-oop attempts. No lobs with Ware around will enter the scouting report soon.

The shot-blocking potential is eye-popping, but so has the offensive side of the floor, honestly. Ware's played 30+ minutes in the last three games, averaging 22.3 points, 11 boards, and two blocks, sporting a 62 TS%. Those numbers are head-turning, and his 3-ball has not even been falling during this hot stretch (still 38% on the season).

Ware's shooting

We thought Bam's shooting would be the critical upgrade of the Heat's season, but Ware might be the answer. Abebayo still needs to continue getting game reps to become a respectable 3-point shooter, but Ware already seems like a sure thing, though he's been a bit cold since he started playing big minutes.

This kickout screams Heat future. The power forward is guarding Bam because Ware is in. The strength mismatch demands the help defense to shift, and he hits Ware for an open in rhythm 3. We touched on how Ware's shots look smooth, and he confidently takes them. His level of belief dates back to his high school days when he was hitting sidestep trey balls, looking like Kevin Durant reincarnated.

Defenses are taking note. The second attempt wouldn't be so time-free after Ware drained a wide-open triple vs. Brook Lopez and the Milwaukee Bucks. Lopez closes out on the next one, and Ware misses. Not all misses are created equally, and what's to follow would be a huge step in the KeBam partnership. Ware shot 50% on wide-open 3s last night and missed all three of his 3s with the defense within 4-6 feet of him. Making defenses come out there is a step in the right direction.

Ware missed that three, but attracting closeouts is a major plus that'll open up potential blowbys. The defense with Ware and Adebayo isn't a question looking at it through a long-term lens, but the spacing is a concern. Ware is a deadly vertical threat that spaces the floor quite a bit, as defenders need to be draped at his hip whenever he's near the basket. But when he's causing the defenders to step out 24 feet from the rim? That's a serious problem for coaches around the league.

Find out who fits with this new trio

Some may call this a lost season with the Jimmy Butler fiasco unfolding, but the Heat have an opportunity to see what works. The Heat are 4-6 in the last 10. Understandably, the drama is weighing on this squad. As Erik Spoelstra said, you have to get over it and find bright spots in these dark times.

Tyler Herro and Adebayo are the franchise. Ware could join that mix. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, and Pelle Larsson are core pieces, but are they starters next to those three?

Butler's absence gives Spo room to tinker with the rotation. Larsson got his first career start against the Bucks and got in foul trouble early. He's a relentless defender who tries to fight through every screen. As his career continues, he'll earn respect from the refs and won't be called for these ticky-tack bang-bang calls. His A+ screen navigation grade from Bball-Index bolds well for his future.

Jaquez and Jovic have been in the system for two and three years. Are they the best fits with those three? Jovic adds another layer of shooting and playmaking, plus positional size. The Heat would go from a squad that constantly ran small ball to a team trotting out three 6-foot-9 and up players with a Ware, Bam, and Jovic frontcourt.

We know Jaquez can play the Butler role with his feel and basketball wittiness. It was a decent week for him, but he'll bounce back. One thing that's for certain is Terry Rozier's minutes need to be cut. He's not helping the team, and it's a tough pill to swallow when you gave up a 1st round pick to get him. Are you trying to make the playoffs? He's not helping with that. Going for a full-on youth movement? He doesn't fit that timeline. No one enjoys making these proclamations about Rozier, but this all-time cold streak isn't helping anyone-- not his value or the win column. The Heat's problems are bigger than his struggles, but playing guys younger with better defense (Larsson) is the move since they're already playing without a point guard.

Stats as of 1/24/25 via PivotFade, Cleaning The Glass, NBA.com, Basketball Reference, and PBP Stats