The painful descent back to pack is in full swing for the Miami Heat, and there do not seem to be any intermediate answers as to how to stop the slide. Miami beat Brooklyn on Thursday to stop a five-game losing streak, only to go out and lose to Boston and New York in back-to-back games.
The grand irony of it all is that arguably the best player for the Heat this past week has been the one player that Erik Spoelstra has seemed hell-bent to relegate to the bench whenever possible.
Kel’el Ware has solid week despite Miami’s losing streak
It’s hard to blame Kel’el Ware for the past few losses since he has been one of the best players on the floor for the Heat. After getting sent to the bench and having back-to-back games of under 20 minutes, Ware has found himself back in the starting lineup and responded with some of his best play of the season.
Ware was about the only reason Miami even kept contact with New York on Sunday, and was within two points with three minutes to play before the bottom fell out.
Ware has been getting increased minutes in part because Tyler Herro has once again returned to street clothes with a toe injury, and the lesson for the Heat is that even if Herro is healthy, they can’t take Ware out of the starting lineup moving forward.
Take Andrew Wiggins out if you have to, but it would be a massive mistake to move Ware for several reasons. Beyond the fact that he has added an offensive spark to the squad that Herro wasn’t, the problem would be the message it sends to Ware and the entire locker room of “Hey, even though you are playing great, we are not going to reward you with it because we have predetermined this guy deserves a spot over you.”
Miami already made it a point of emphasis this past offseason not to include Ware in any potential trade options, but they also need to guarantee Ware still wants to re-sign with the club when his free agency comes due.
Is Ware a perfect player?
Of course not.
Is Ware a consistent player?
Not always.
But this past week has showcased what the ceiling of Ware can be when you throw him in the starting lineup and allow him to play freely without having to look over his shoulder, wondering if he’s going to get subbed out.