Judging by the Miami Heat’s preseason rotations, they have apparently decided that Kel’el Ware is not an ideal frontcourt partner for Bam Adebayo. And while recognizing as much allows them to put the sophomore in the right role, the duo’s lack of time together has huge implications on this season, and their overall future.
Miami entirely avoided pairing Ware with Adebayo until its overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Their stint together taught us…nothing. Ware only started because Nikola Jovic is dealing with lower-back issues, and Adebayo was forced to leave the game in the second half due to a right knee contusion.
Still, the Heat’s dearth of reps for the dual-big frontcourt speaks volumes. It’s to some extent a nod toward how high they are on Jovic after. But preseason is a time for testing out principles and lineups you believe warrant further exploration.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra has seemingly decided the Adebayo-Ware frontcourt isn’t yet ready to become a staple—or at the very least doesn’t give Miami the best shot at optimizing its roster.
Kel’el Ware may be better suited to playing without Bam Adebayo
Though Bam and Ware need more time together before rendering any sweeping verdicts, it’s easy to understand Coach Spo’s staggered approach. The Heat won the minutes with both bigs on the court last year, but the offense was mediocre, at best, unless the duo played alongside both Tyler Herro and Alec Burks.
This makes sense. Adebayo and Ware have offensive range, but much of it is theoretical. Bam has never consistently stretched defenses beyond the three-point line, and Ware prefers to do more than be a space-in-place threat.
Staggering the two affords the second-year seven-footer more room to screen, cut, work in the dunker’s spot, and just generally roam. Not surprisingly, Ware proved more efficient inside the arc last season when playing without Adebayo. He knocked down 59.3 percent of his twos alongside Bam, versus 64.6 percent when on his own. His field-goal percentage around the rim climbed by about three points as well.
Staggering Bam and Ware isn’t a permanent solution
Separating Bam and Ware is not a viable default for the Heat. It may be better for the offense, at least in the short term, but it puts a more taxing defensive load on Adebayo’s shoulders.
This isn’t a problem in a nutshell. Adebayo has never varied his defensive coverages—and effectiveness within them—more than he has over the past couple of seasons. Much like Ware needs to do more than space, though, Bam is at his peak when he doesn’t have to worry about playing so many traditional big-man coverages.
Operating alongside Ware lets Adebayo leverage the threat of his mobility far more, since he doesn’t have to guard the basket as often. If you take that tool out of his belt, he’s still a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, but not the best possible version of himself.
Perhaps Tyler Herro’s eventual return to play in November solves everything. A frontcourt with Bam and Ware will hold up just fine offensively with Miami’s All-Star guard and Norman Powell in the same lineup.
Until then, however, the Heat may continue to separate their two bigs out of necessity.