The Miami Heat have a lot of promising players, but the most intriguing one is Kel'el Ware. At 7'0", Ware is an athletic big man with a reliable three-point shot. Considering he is only 21, Ware has tons of potential to grow further.
Recently, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has had a weird dynamic with his young big man. His recent comments were a bad look for him because they appear to be picking on Ware, given the fewer minutes he has been playing.
Ware is not backing down from Spoelstra
Against the Boston Celtics on Thursday, Ware only played nine minutes. Spoelstra sat him out for the second half, which was a tactical decision. The Celtics had more speedy players, so keeping Ware out there was questionable defensively.
Spoelstra talked about it after the game, and while he did not intend to, it felt like he was calling out Ware's work ethic. That is not the best look because the Heat are relying on Ware's potential to be unlocked in the long run.
MORE: The concern continues to mount for the Miami Heat's treatment of Kel'el Ware
Before Saturday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Spoelstra talked about his previous comments. He admitted that it was a bad look because he did not fully articulate his point.
He appreciates Ware for his hard work, which should be a good sign that he does know his player's potential. However, people should know that it is a long process, which will have its highs and lows.
"Honestly, I’m not gonna lie. I think it’s crazy, but I mean, it’s his comments. I’ve kinda learned to control what you can control. It is what it is. If I didn’t play the second half, that was his decision he felt he needed to make," Ware said before the game against OKC.
"In order to produce, I guess, as he said eight weeks ago, I would say I had more minutes eight weeks ago."
Ware is not holding back because he knows he has the talent to produce a star in the long run. It will be an interesting situation to follow because the Heat need a building block.
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