Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra should be fighting hard to get Kel'el Ware at least 25 minutes per game every night. Over the last few games, as the Heat has dropped four games in a row and five of their last six, Ware hasn't been put in a position to impact the game as much as he could.
Ware has played less than 22 minutes in four of the last six games. For how much he can impact the game at the center position, that's simply not enough time on the floor. And, sure, Spo is still trying to find his footing with the rotation after the return of Tyler Herro, but getting Ware his minutes needs to be a priority.
I wouldn't say that the lack of playing time for Ware is the biggest reason why the Heat have found themselves in a mini-slump of late, but it certainly can't help when one of your most impactful players in the frontcourt is playing less than 20 minutes per contest.
Erik Spoelstra still may not trust Kel'el Ware completely
Over the course of his career, Spo has always preached that starting vs. coming off the bench isn't a huge deal for him. It's all about getting your best players on the floor as much as possible, whether that's at the beginning of the game or at the end.
The fact that Ware hasn't been getting his minutes almost certainly speaks to the fact that Spo still doesn't completely trust the young big man.
And that's not surprising or a knock on Ware. The Heat clearly values Ware, but the way Spo utilizes his rotation, he often leans most on continuity and trust. Right now, for as much as Ware has flashed so far this season, he hasn't gotten to the point where he's completely earned Spo's trust.
That's naturally going to come with time. However, at some point, Spo just has to believe in the talent. And, at a bare minimum, that belief in Ware should come with an expanded role and more minutes.
Ware has taken huge strides in his development this year, but is still being held back (perhaps smartly) by Spo and the rest of this coaching staff. In fairness, now that the Heat is fairly at full strength, Spo is clearly still working through the rotations.
One thing that needs to be a necessity once Spo does settle on a permanent rotation, though, is more minutes for Ware. He deserves it, and the Heat would certainly benefit from it.