Heat's Kel'el Ware: Double-double in Friday's loss
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Ware produced 10 points (4-12 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 14 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal over 26 minutes during Friday's 102-86 loss to Brooklyn.
After failing to score a point in Wednesday's win over the Sixers, Ware bounced back with his sixth double-double of the season, albeit in a losing effort. Five of them have come in the last nine games since moving into Miami's starting lineup, a stretch in which Ware has averaged 11.8 points, 10.7 boards, 1.2 assists, 1.2 threes, 1.1 blocks and 0.9 steals. With Jimmy Butler on his way to Golden State, Ware and frontcourt mate Bam Adebayo figure to become the focal point of the Heat offense along with Tyler Herro.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Double-double in Chicago
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Ware amassed 17 points (8-12 FG, 1-2 3Pt), 12 rebounds, one assist and one steal over 31 minutes during Tuesday's 133-124 loss to the Bulls.
The rookie center has been a revelation for the Heat since moving into the starting lineup in late January. Over the last seven games, Ware has averaged 13.7 points, 9.9 boards, 1.6 threes, 1.3 blocks, 1.0 steals and 0.9 assists while shooting 53.3 percent from the floor and 42.3 percent (11-for-26) from beyond the arc. He's also recorded four of his five career double-doubles in that span. Bam Adebayo has also seen his numbers jump up significantly while playing alongside the 15th overall pick in the 2024 Draft, another strong sign that Ware isn't going to move back to the bench any time soon.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Double-doubles in win
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Ware logged 19 points (7-8 FG, 4-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds, one block and two steals across 42 minutes during Monday's 125-119 double-overtime victory over the Magic.
It's safe to say Ware is enjoying his new role in the starting lineup alongside Bam Adebayo. Over his last five games, Ware leads Miami in nine-category fantasy value, posting second-round numbers with averages of 18.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks on 52.9 percent shooting from the field and 90.0 percent from the line. His fantasy arrow is pointing straight up.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Continues to impress Thursday
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Ware had 22 points (9-15 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, two blocks and one steal over 35 minutes during Thursday's 125-96 loss to the Bucks.
The standout rookie big man kept his foot on the gas Thursday, piling up a team-high 22 points en route to his third double-double of the campaign. Considering Haywood Highsmith was mostly ineffective as a starter for the Heat during the first half of the season, the starting job alongside Bam Adebayo in Miami's frontcourt appears to be Ware's to lose at this point. Over his last eight contests, Ware has averaged 14.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 three-pointers in 26.1 minutes while shooting 55.1 percent from the field.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Double-doubles in first start
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Ware recorded 20 points (8-17 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 15 rebounds and two blocks in 39 minutes during Tuesday's 116-107 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Ware was rewarded with his first career start Tuesday after a strong outing against San Antonio. The rookie center paid back coach Eric Spoelstra's trust by putting up a career-high 15 rebounds and posting a plus-eight point differential despite losing. If Ware can keep performing at a high level, he will likely continue to start alongside Bam Adebayo in Miami's frontcourt.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Standout performance off bench
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Ware amassed 25 points (10-19 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 34 minutes during Sunday's 128-107 victory over the Spurs.
It was a standout performance off Miami's bench by Ware, who ended up exceeding Bam Adebayo's minutes total while matching his season high with 25 points to lead the team in Sunday's rout. Ware has made a serious case for more playing time with the Heat since the calendar flipped to January, as he's averaging 12.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 threes while shooting 45.8 percent from three-point land in 20.6 minutes over his last 11 games. The rookie first-rounder's fantasy upside will remain capped while Adebayo is healthy, but Ware is flashing a unique skill set for providing treys and swats alongside a high field-goal percentage.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: First double-double of career
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Ware totaled 19 points (7-11 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 13 rebounds, one block and one steal across 33 minutes during Monday's 109-98 loss to the Clippers.
The rookie big man out of Indiana notched a double-double for the first time in his career, and he took advantage of the absence of Bam Adebayo (back) to clear the 25-minute mark for the first time as well. Ware has scored in double digits in four of his last eight contests, a span in which he's averaging 11.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Ties season high in rebounds
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Ware amassed eight points (4-5 FG), seven rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal over 19 minutes during Thursday's 97-92 win over the Jazz.
Ware played fewer than 20 minutes for a third straight game but remains a key part of Miami's bench unit due to Jimmy Butler's (suspension) absence. Over his last six appearances, the rookie first-round pick has averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 1.0 assists and 0.7 steals while shooting 68.4 percent from the field in 18.3 minutes per game.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Shines off bench vs. Indiana
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Ware posted 25 points (9-11 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 4-5 FT), one assist, three blocks and one steal over 21 minutes during Thursday's 128-115 loss to the Pacers.
Ware had the best game of his young career by a sizable margin. The rookie struggled to crack the rotation in the first weeks of the season but has logged double-digit minutes in each of his last seven games, averaging 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game off the bench in that span. He should continue to see minutes off the bench going forward, especially if Miami trades Jimmy Butler ahead of the deadline.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Tallies career-high 10 points
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Ware accumulated 10 points (4-4 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one block across 17 minutes during Wednesday's 119-108 win over the Pelicans.
Ware scored a career-high 10 points, delivering another encouraging performance. After playing a sporadic role to begin the season, Ware appears to have assumed the role of backup center behind Bam Adebayo. After Thomas Bryant was traded to Indiana, Ware shifted up in the rotation, an indication that the coaching staff has enough trust to get him out there on a regular basis.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Turns heads off bench
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Ware chipped in nine points (4-6 FG, 1-2 3Pt), seven rebounds, one block and two steals across 17 minutes during Monday's 110-95 win over the Nets.
After being out of the rotation for nearly a month, Ware has been getting the backup center minutes in two straight games. He's been productive in limited run, averaging 8.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in just 15.5 minutes during that span. He's certainly someone worth monitoring in deeper formats with his newfound minutes.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Recalled by Miami
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Miami recalled Ware from the G League's Sioux Falls Skyforce on Monday.
Ware played in Sunday's 114-112 G League loss to Grand Rapids, finishing with 20 points (9-14 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 0-1 FT), 10 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and two steals over 31 minutes. At the NBA level, however, Ware has played just 6.9 minutes per game across 10 contests.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Downgraded to questionable Sunday
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Ware is questionable for Sunday's game against the Raptors due to right foot tendinitis, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
Ware was a late addition to the injury report while he deals with a lingering foot issue. The rookie has yet to carve out a significant role with the club and has appeared in three of its last five games, during which he averaged 2.0 points and 2.3 rebounds across 7.3 minutes per game.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Limited role continues
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Ware finished with four points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, one block and one steal over 12 minutes during Wednesday's 98-94 victory over Charlotte.
Ware continues to be used sparingly off the bench, logging double-digit minutes for just the second time all season. Despite putting together a strong preseason, Ware has struggled to carve out a consistent role. It does appear as though he has edged ahead of Thomas Bryant in the rotation, something that is certainly a step in the right direction. However, barring an injury to Bam Adebayo, Ware is likely to be limited moving forward.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Rolls ankle, still available
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Ware rolled his left ankle during Miami's morning shootaround, but he's still available for Tuesday's game against the Pistons, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
Ware played nine minutes against Minnesota on Sunday, posting four points and three blocks. While he'll be available, he's not guaranteed playing time. Ware didn't appear in four of Miami's first six games but has totaled 25 minutes over the last three contests.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Solid finish to preseason
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Ware tallied 16 points (7-17 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two steals over 28 minutes in Friday's 114-109 preseason win over the Grizzlies.
Ware saw extended playing time off the bench Friday as Bam Adebayo (rest) and the other prominent Heat players sat for the preseason finale. Ware led the Heat with seven rebounds, and he was responsible for both of Miami's blocked shots. Ware will likely begin the 2024-25 regular season as the primary backup at center, but his willingness to shoot from three means he could share the floor with Adebayo.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Drops 17 points
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Ware produced 17 points (7-9 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-4 FT), three rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 25 minutes during Saturday's 119-114 Summer League win over Boston.
Ware came into this outing with a ton of hype after averaging 19.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game in his previous two Summer League outings. His path to fantasy value is obstructed by the presence of Bam Adebayo, but Ware has the potential to run away with the backup center role.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Shines in Summer League
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Ware recorded 26 points (12-21 FG, 2-5 FT, 0-2 3Pt), 11 rebounds, three assists and a block in 29 minutes during Sunday's 102-86 win over the Kings in the California Classic Summer League.
Ware was dominant for the Heat's Summer League team Sunday, recording game-high marks in points and rebounds. The 15th overall pick has averaged 19.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game across his first two Summer League outings, showing clear flashes of upside.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Drafted by Heat at No. 15
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Ware was selected by the Heat with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
As a sophomore last year in Indiana, Ware earned spots on the All-Big Ten Second Team (media) and the All-Big Ten Defensive Team. The 7-footer showed upside as a rim-protecting stretch five, blocking 1.9 shots and making 0.6 threes at 42.5 percent in 32.2 minutes per game. He's also a phenomenal athlete capable of highlight-reel dunks, giving him intriguing offensive upside in a league so reliant on pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop offense. The reason Ware is being drafted in the middle of the first round rather than higher is largely due to mixed effort and decision-making, not to mention a lack of desire to play with physicality. In terms of his immediate role, Ware could slot in as Bam Adebayo's backup, though there's potential for the two to share the floor.
