Kel'el Ware has, at times, tested the patience of the Miami Heat. Now, the NBA world is figuring out why the franchise has remained firm in its commitment to him.
He's hitting the glass harder, hitting his threes at a higher clip, and impacting the game in undeniable ways at both ends. His long-awaited breakout might be coming to fruition, and that could change everything for Miami's outlook in this season and many still to come.
Ware's star is rising, and the Heat are surging right along with him.
Remember when rebounding looked like one of this club's primary weaknesses? Well, Ware seemingly made it a personal mission to correct that problem.
He's had double-digit rebounds in nine of his last 10 outings—he snared nine in 26 minutes during the other—and, perhaps not coincidentally, the Heat have posted a blistering 8-2 record in this stretch.
To highlight the unique nature of his skill set, consider all the things he's managed to flash in this torrid run. He's had a 20-rebound effort and three 20-point double-doubles. He has blocked three shots in four different games and splashed multiple three-pointers in two of them. He's even had two steals in three of his last four contests.
His stat line for this entire run features 14.7 points, 14.2 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 three-pointers. His shooting slash is a sizzling 55.8/47.4/81.5.
Wild numbers, right? Well, it gets even better. During this run, his net differential sits at a whopping plus-21.9 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. He's had at least a plus-15 plus/minus in four different games and only thrice had negative differentials ("bottoming out" at minus-3).
"He's just playing with so much more force than he was a year ago at this time," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. "He's gaining confidence. I want to be open-minded. I don't want to put a ceiling on him."
Ware has had dominant stretches before, of course, and the real gauge on his development will be his ability to sustain this success. A ridiculous two-week run is obviously awesome to see, but playing at (or even near) this level of multiple months in a row could transform him from being an interesting prospect to a legitimate difference-maker.
It'd be premature to say for certain that's what Heat fans are witnessing, but it's not at all too soon to start examining what it might mean for Miami if this evolution is real. Because if the Heat can suddenly count on Ware to be a difference-making man in the middle more often than not, then they shift from an early-season surprise to a season-long contender.
That's a lot to ask of a second-year player, obviously, but it's also why the Heat have been so hands-on with his development. Because if they can consistently bring the best out of him, then they just might solve their star search without ever having to look outside the organization.