Miami Heat big man Kevin Love is currently on the outside looking in when it comes to head coach Erik Spoelstra’s rotation.
He hasn’t seen any action since Dec. 20 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and even in that game, he got just a few minutes of playing time.
The 36-year-old recently spoke about the Heat coaching staff’s message to him amid his lack of playing time.
“Just to stay ready,” Love said of the message. “I know that they want to give a look to Kel’el [Ware]. He’s been so great in practice and just continuing to work. So I’m just taking the vet approach right now, staying ready and staying in shape. But then just trying to lift up my teammates where I can.”
Ware has seemingly taken Love’s spot in the rotation as Miami’s backup center. He has suited up in each of Miami’s last four contests and has shown off his rebounding and scoring chops at times.
In Miami’s two games leading up to Christmas, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft pulled down rebounds at a high level. He totaled seven boards off the pine against the Orlando Magic on Dec. 21 and then finished with the same number of rebounds when the Heat played the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 23.
As for the offensive end of the floor, he’s had some impressive moments since he surpassed Love in the rotation. He boasts solid hops for a 7-footer and is shooting 64.7 percent from the field during the four-game stretch in question.
Kel'el Ware breaking the sound barrier on this lob Dunk🤣 pic.twitter.com/NPV0plG4aZ
— Heat Clips 🎬 (@Demar305) December 27, 2024
Ware is comfortable shooting the ball from 3-point range as well, even if he isn’t the threat from deep that Love is at this juncture. The rookie buried a 3 against the Nets and has attempted at least one triple in three straight contests.
More important than how Ware has fared from an individual standpoint is how the Heat have fared collectively since the rotation change, and the results have been a mixed bag. Miami owns a record of 2-2 over its last four games, with losses coming to the Magic and Atlanta Hawks during that span.
Love deserves credit for taking the relegation of his role in stride, and Heat fans shouldn’t rule out the possibility of him being reinserted into the rotation in the future.
