A look at the stat sheet from the Miami Heat’s preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks would probably lead fans of the Heat to believe that big man Kel’el Ware was highly impactful. He totaled a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds off the bench. The second-year player also nailed half of his four 3-point attempts in the game.
However, the Heat were outscored by a whopping 21 points during Ware’s time on the floor, and head coach Erik Spoelstra indicated that the youngster made a positive impact only for a few of the minutes he played.
“There was a three-minute segment where it actually impacted the game,” Spoelstra said. “The rest of it? It has to impact the game.
“I’m not looking at the stat line. I think everybody’s looking at the wrong thing. It’s got to impact the game. I want him, the next game, to be a plus-20. Right? That’s what it’s about.”
Spoelstra claimed that it doesn’t matter a whole lot to Miami’s success if Ware puts up gaudy numbers if he’s not having much of an impact.
“That steal he had at halfcourt was an inspiring play, that impacted the moment,” Spoelstra said. “And there was probably a three-minute stretch there. I want to take that three-minute stretch and see what his plus-minus was on that — because it impacted the game.
“And that’s part of him, as a young player, connecting the dots. It does not matter if you have 18 and 13 if it’s not impacting the game, really.”
The good news is that playing winning basketball for the Heat seems to be at the top of Ware’s agenda based on some comments he made.
“It’s all about a point where I’m affecting winning basketball,” Ware said. “And so, just being able to go out there and affect the game in a positive way.”
Spoelstra realizes that ups and downs are inherent with young players at the highest level, and he’s trying to teach Ware to be a more consistent basketball player.
“That’s part of it,” Spoelstra said. “That’s part of being a young player. That’s why I enjoy coaching him, ’cause my responsibility is to help teach him how to connect the dots, and become more consistent, where it now leads to winning. And all the young players in this league have to go through that.”
Ware has put up impressive numbers in back-to-back preseason games for Miami now, yet the team is still looking for its first preseason victory.
The Heat’s next preseason contest is slated for Oct. 8 against the San Antonio Spurs, and Ware’s plus-minus will be one stat to follow in that game. Hopefully, he will grant Spoelstra’s wish and be a plus-20 in a win for Miami.
The 21-year-old is heading into what could be a pivotal sophomore campaign after he received the sixth-most votes for the league’s Rookie of the Year award last season. For one, it’s important to his development that he avoids the dreaded sophomore slump, and he also has concerns about his professionalism that he needs to address.
Perhaps Ware will enjoy a breakout season in the coming campaign, but fans of the team should judge his season based on how the Heat fare with him on the floor as opposed to the counting stats he puts up. After all, Miami is an organization that’s long prioritized winning.