There's no question the Miami Heat highly values Kel'el Ware. But he could be dealing with a problem that will not only limit his potential, but it's also one that the Heat has no control over in helping fix. Ware's issues with "professionalism" and "effort" could be an issue that stunts his overall career potential.
Ware's talent is unique and evident. At this point, that's not up for debate. When he's engaged and motivated, the potential is off the charts. It's no surprise he quickly won the starting center position with the Heat during his rookie season.
However, when head coach Erik Spoelstra "called out" Ware recently, it had nothing to do with his talent. Instead, it had everything to do with his "professionalism." Spo made it clear he wanted to see more defined and intentional effort from Ware, and on a consistent basis.
It's not that much of an ask, especially considering Ware was expected to dominate his way through the summer league.
Kel'el Ware has responded in a big way
After a few inconsistent and underwhelming games in summer league, Ware, in his defense, has managed to respond in a big way after Spo's comments. In the two games since Spo went public with his criticism of Ware, he's averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks on 55 percent shooting from the field overall, including going 5-6 from 3-point range.
That's exactly the showing many expected from Ware during his second summer league cycle. My question is, why did it take Spo to call out Ware for him to start taking it seriously? And there lies the potential problem for the Heat.
Correcting "professionalism" is not necessarily something the Heat can fix. They can point it out, but at the end of the day, that onus falls on Ware. Sure, he's been fantastic over the last two games, but is this a new approach from Ware, or just a couple of performances to get Spo off his back?
Because you know Spo wouldn't have publicized Ware's "professionalism" if it wasn't already an issue before. This is not his first rodeo; he knew exactly what he was doing.
But, hey, maybe this is the public kick in the butt that Ware needed. After all, he did take the criticism in stride and noted that it motivated him. But I have a hard time believing this was a one-time issue that the Heat have dealt with when it comes to Ware. That's just a hunch.
It's all on Kel'el Ware
At the end of the day, there's nothing more unfortunate in the NBA than wasted potential. And while it's way too early to throw Ware into that box, that's what could be at stake here. Spo wouldn't have publicized it if it weren't a clear issue, and one that has consistently been a problem.
It's all on Ware now to fix the issue and change the narrative. That said, as history suggests, there's no guarantee he will.