Kel'el Ware is widely known as the most promising young player on the Miami Heat roster. At 7'0", he has a unique skill set because he is a standout player with his versatility as an athletic big man who has a reliable three-point shot.
This season, he has averaged 24.5 minutes per game. However, that has shifted in the past few games, as he has not played over 17 minutes since their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which was five games ago.
Spoelstra feels Ware is not maximizing his opportunities
This season, Heat fans have noticed that Spoelstra is a bit more critical of Ware than some of his players. This is probably because he has high expectations for the 21-year-old, but it is becoming concerning for some people.
Ware is averaging 11.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. That is an amazing return for someone who is playing barely over 24 minutes a night.
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Against the Boston Celtics on Thursday, Ware did not play in the second half. He only got three points and five rebounds during those minutes, which is peculiar because everyone knows that Ware deserves the minutes.
Coach Spoelstra is not a fan of what he has seen from Ware as of late, which has led to a huge dip in his minutes. This recent change could be Spoelstra's way of motivating his promising big man.
"With Kel'el, I know that's a lightning rod topic. He needs to get back to where he was seven/eight weeks ago, where I felt he was stacking good days. He's stacking days in the wrong direction now," Spoelstra said about Ware's dip in minutes.
It appears that Ware is still in Spoelstra's long-term plans, but it was the wrong matchup against the Celtics. It is not the optimal way to play against Boston, so Miami moved in a different direction with Ware.
Spoelstra knows what he is doing, but he must do his best to maximize Ware because he is the most promising young player on the roster, who could have All-Star potential in the league.
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