The Miami Heat are looking for positive signs for the future as they face a new reality.
In the short-term the Miami Heat are coping without Jimmy Butler, who is serving a seven-game suspension imposed by the team.
Barring a surprise U-turn, Butler will leave Miami, even before the trade deadline or in the summer, and the franchise are rebuilding for the future.
Despite coach Erik Spoelstra’s admiration for Butler, he is focusing on the players he does have available, including rookie Kel’el Ware.
Kel’el Ware impresses in Heat loss
The Miami Heat fell to a 109-98 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite outscoring the Clippers in the first quarter and matching them in the fourth, the game fell away in the third, where LA went on a 36-20 run.
One player who impressed was 15th overall pick in the NBA Draft, Kel’el Ware.
The Heat have come in for criticism for the selection, with the 76ers taking Jared McCain a pick later, and the Lakers grabbing Dalton Knecht with the 17th.
Kel’el Ware is showing promise, however, with 19 points and 13 rebounds against the Clippers, and he wasn’t even in the starting line-up.
This was Ware’s second highest scoring game in the NBA, following 25 against the Pacers earlier in January, and his best ever rebound game, almost doubling his previous best of seven.
Erik Spoelstra on Kel’el Ware
Speaking after the game, Erik Spoelstra spoke highly of Kel’el Ware, and suggested he could have upped his rebounds, which were the most on the team on the night.
Spoelstra says he is seeing continuous improvement from the 20-year-old prospect.
He said: “The 13 rebounds, he could have had more. He changed shots under the rim.
“We want him to elevate, deflections…. He’s making progress. It seems to be every day that he’s learning something new.”
Kel’el Ware is improving and settling into life in the NBA, and as one of the younger rookies, he is showing why the Heat were right to be excited about him.
Pat Riley and co may just have unearthed another future star, who would make the impending loss of Butler a little easier to digest.
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