If there's any moment for Kel'el Ware to shut the critical mouths of the doubters, now is the time. With the expectation that Bam Adebayo is going to miss some time with a foot injury (even though his MRI came back fairly clean), the Heat needs Ware to step up in the frontcourt. With all the talent in the world, this is a golden opportunity for Ware to be that player the Heat believes he can be.
And Miami doesn't have many other options to turn to, aside from giving two-way player Vlad Goldin the green light or playing exceptionally small for the next few games. It has to be Ware. And if it doesn't all begin to click for Ware now, when the Heat needs him most, it's hard to envision when, or if, it will ever happen.
Kel'el Ware has been up and down all season long
Ware has had as polarizing a start to the season as you'd expect. While he's had some real highs, he's also had some unfortunate lows.
As the team continues to demand the most from him, stepping up in a big way in the absence of Bam could help silence his big critics - perhaps even some that may reside inside the Heat's front office.
On the surface, it may seem as if Ware has been quite good this season. In eight games played this season, Ware is averaging 10 points and seven rebounds per game on 55 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent shooting from 3-point range. However, the effort on both ends of the floor has been a real issue for him.
That's quite evident when watching him every night. It's been so much of a problem that Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was forced to relegate him from his spot in the starting 5. Even though Spo holds the belief that it's not that, the writing is clearly on the wall.
But that could suddenly change. With Bam (likely) out for the next few games, the Heat are desperately going to need someone in the frontcourt to step up. And it has to be Ware.
It's not even just necessarily because the Heat may not have many other options, though that certainly has to play a factor in this all. But Ware is also the most talented big man on the team who is healthy, by far.
The most frustrating part of Ware's "struggles" this season is the fact that there's no reason for them. Ware is one of the most naturally skilled players on the team's roster, and if he were to ever put it all together, he's probably good enough to make an All-Star game or two. That's the type of ceiling he has.
That's why Spo (and the rest of this team) is so hard on him. It's also why they continue to believe in him.
No longer just a talented rookie, Ware needs to, for once and for all, put an end to the criticism surrounding his name. And with Bam out, this is a great opportunity for Ware to do so.
Whether he'll be able to do it or not is the big question, and it's certainly one that all Heat fans will be extremely interested to see play out over these next few days. It may truly be now or never for Ware.