Not many people within the Miami Heat’s walls got what they wanted last season, but Bam Adebayo did.
Adebayo has made it no secret that he prefers to play power forward, and, after the Heat drafted 7-footer Kel’el Ware with the 15th pick in last June’s draft, he got the position change he wanted.
It didn’t happen right away. Ware was out of the regular rotation to start the season as he grew into his NBA britches. But once Erik Spoelstra and his coaching staff deemed him ready, they thrust him into the starting lineup and remade the Heat’s identity on the fly.
The frontcourt of Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware is key to the Heat's future.
Of course, last season was marred by the Jimmy Butler trade saga and the 10-game losing streak that followed shortly after. But when you parse through the numbers, the Adebayo-Ware combo looks like a silver lining. A look at the on/off data via PBP stats:
- Bam and Ware on: 6.5 NET, 116.9 ORTG, 110.5 DRTG
- Bam on with Ware off: -0.96 NET, 112.3 ORTG, 113.3 DRTG
- Bam off with Ware on: -0.04 NET, 114.9 ORTG, 115 DTG
As you can see, the Heat weren’t very good with just one big man on the court, but were very good with both of them in the lineup. (Their ratings with Bam and Ware look similar to what the Minnesota Timberwolves, who finished with the league’s fourth-best net rating, posted for the season.)
Bam played 541 of his 2,674 minutes (20%) with Ware this season and logged his most minutes at power forward since 2021. He lobbied Spoelstra to play Ware earlier in the year and often told the media how happy he was to play next to Ware after the lineup change.
“He’s a great teammate, ready to sacrifice for the betterment of the team,” Adebayo told reporters after the season. “He’s a great player in this league. He’s one we will be constantly be talking about every year, could be in contention for [Defensive Player of the Year]. He has the showcase and can show it.”
The key to unlocking the Bam-Ware frontcourt is 3-point shooting. Adebayo shot 35.7% on 2.8 3-point attempts per game, the best marks of his career from beyond the arc. Ware, a willing shooter from deep in college, made 31.5% of his 1.7 attempts as a rookie.
For the frontcourt to be viable, especially at the close of games, one of Adebayo or Ware needs to emerge as a legitimate threat to space the floor.
“Understand I can space the floor,” Adebayo said. “Keeping teams honest is the biggest thing.”
Ware will also need to improve on the defensive end. The playoffs were eye-opening as the Cavs targeted him in pick-and-roll and eventually played him off the floor. That will come with time. He also needs to get stronger, something Ware plans to work on this summer.
With Butler gone, Adebayo becomes the face of the franchise. That means the Heat need to build around him and empower him. Adebayo is best when starting at power forward. He’ll still play center, but having another capable 7-footer allows Spoelstra to play him there selectively.
The Heat need Bam to be a star, and the numbers show he was better once Ware entered the starting lineup.
- Bam before Ware entered the starting lineup: 15.7 points on 45.4% shooting, 9.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists
- Bam after: 20.6 points on 51.4% shooting, 9.5 rebounds, 4 assists
No matter what comes next for the Heat, the Bam and Ware frontcourt should be at the forefront of their planning. If Ware can develop into the frontcourt partner Adebayo needs soon, the Heat should be right back in the playoffs next season.