"Kel'el Ware's start to the 2025-26 NBA season has been packed with ups and downs, jubilations and frustrations, imagination-inducing stat lines and frustration-filled bouts of indifference. It has been, in frankly unsurprising ways, a full display of the Kel'el Ware experience. Remember when Heat coach Erik Spoelstra felt the need to call out his young center this summer for similarly lethargic stretches? It wasn't surprising then, just like the frustration around Ware's ongoing inconsistency isn't surprising now."
"So, while his athletic abilities and skills were certainly drool-worthy, scouts worried about his inconsistent impact. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who ranked Ware 26th in that class, raved about Ware's measurements, finishing, and shooting potential in his 2024 draft guide, but cautioned that the big man didn't "play with much force" and had pressing concerns about Ware's "engagement and motor.""
Kel'el Ware's 2025-26 season mixes eye-catching performances with lethargic stretches, producing both excitement and frustration. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra publicly called out Ware for effort lapses, mirroring long-standing concerns about inconsistent engagement. Ware split two college seasons between Oregon and Indiana and experienced alternating high-scoring games and near-zeros, raising red flags about reliability. Scouts praised his measurements, finishing, and shooting upside while warning he didn't play with much force and often lacked consistent motor. Miami can develop Ware's skills and technique, but unresolved effort and engagement problems threaten his individual ceiling and the team's ability to advance.
Read at All U Can Heat
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