Brian Geltzeiler warns that the young center’s inconsistent motor could stall his rising stardom, potentially making the versatile rim protector a prime trade chip for Miami this offseason.
Miami, FL. – Despite an underwhelming regular season, the Miami Heat saw progression in the development of its young core, including Kel’el Ware. Despite experiencing ups and downs, the second-year center showed an increase in production: 11.1 points on 53 percent shooting, 39.5 percent from behind the arc, nine rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 77 games, including 34 starts.
The 22-year-old was the tallest player on the standard roster, but coach Erik Spoelstra hardly utilized the double-big lineup alongside Bam Adebayo. They only logged 505 total minutes of sharing the court, which is 10.3 minutes in 49 games, according to NBA Advanced Stats.
Ware is capable of having big performances, but the source of concerns often lies in effort on a game-to-game basis. On a Thursday phone-call interview with 104.3 WQAM, a South Florida sports radio station, Sirius XM NBA Radio host Brian Geltzeiler called out the massive flaw from the former first-rounder.
“Here’s what I’ll say about Kel’el Ware–all the potential in the world,” he said. “Kids got to grow up. Kids got to grow up soon, regarding effort. He’s got to be a pro. You saw him in that play-in game. When he’s feeling engaged, he has an incredible amount of ability. He can step back and hit a three for you; he’s a legit rim protector, he’s bouncy, this kid got all the ability and talent in the world. He just picks and choose when he applies himself.”
Coach Spoelstra has mentioned throughout the season that Ware needs to be impactful during the game, regardless of how flashy the numbers may look. There were moments when he was taken out of the game due to a lack of aggression or not doing enough to help the team’s winning efforts.
After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019, the Heat enter a pivotal offseason with a number of issues to address. Among the list is hunting for an additional star. However, given the limited draft assets available, the organization could include Ware in potential packages.
“If that’s the guy you have to part with to bring Giannis [Antetokounmpo] on board, I wouldn’t hesitate if I were Pat Riley and the Miami Heat,” Geltzeiler added.
Ware is still under a rookie-scale contract for next year, plus a club-option for the 2027-28 season, which will likely get picked up before the Oct. 31 deadline.
There is a bright future ahead for the young center, but only if he can improve on the little things that matter, including effort.
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