The Miami Heat suffered a tough 119-114 loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. While many reasons could be attributed to the loss, Kel’el Ware‘s absence in the second half could have been a major factor.
The second-year big man was purposefully kept out of the rotation in the second half by Erik Spoelstra. During his post-game media availability, the Heat head coach justified his decision while criticizing Ware’s performance.
“Look at the game. It was one matchup after another,” Spoelstra stated. “It was a tough matchup for him in Boston, with all the coverages, and it was the same thing tonight.”
“He has to stay ready. With Kel’el, that’s a lightning rod topic. He needs to get back to where he was 7/8 weeks ago when everyone felt he was stacking good days… He’s just got to get back to that. Stack days, build those habits, make sure you’re ready, and play the minutes you’re playing to a point where it makes me want to play you more.”
While Spoelstra’s assessment of Kel’el Ware seemed constructive up until this point, the following remarks hinted at a more concerning habit found in young players like him.
“I get it with some young players,” Spoelstra added. “Sometimes you subconsciously play poorly to say, ‘Hey, I’ll play poorly until you play me the minutes I think I deserve. Then I’ll play well.’ That’s not how it works.”
Spoelstra’s tone while ending his statement doesn’t speak well of Ware’s approach to the game. Considering how dependent the Heat are on him to contribute, however, the head coach’s disappointment seems valid.
Bam Adebayo Encourages Kel’el Ware
Kel’el Ware had an underwhelming game against Boston, posting only three points and five rebounds on 1-5 shooting from the field.
When factoring in his potential, Spoelstra’s frustration with Ware is understandable. In light of the head coach’s harsh comments, however, Heat star Bam Adebayo offered a few words of encouragement to the second-year big man.
“Keep your head up,” Adebayo shared. “You’re young. Obviously, you’re ambitious, and you want to play, but don’t let stuff like this be the motivation.”
“Discipline every day is what beats motivation. You can be motivated for 2-3 games, then go on a rut; it can be up and down. Discipline makes you consistent. My message to him is be as consistent as possible. It might not be 20 and 15 every night. It might be you get four points, but make your presence felt, and have 15 rebounds and four blocks, whatever the case may be.”
Adebayo struck upon something intriguing with his statement. Spoelstra has routinely criticized Kel’el Ware for his lack of motivation in games. Ware has responded with impressive performances, but the cyclical nature of these praiseworthy outings may raise some concerns.
For the 2025-26 season, Ware is averaging 11.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. Due to his versatility as an offensive player and defensive upside, the sophomore big man has been viewed as a star-caliber talent, generating tremendous trade interest from teams around the league.
Kel’el Ware boasts the potential to be one of the best big men in the NBA, but fulfilling it has been a challenge. Regardless, the Heat will need Ware to step up sooner rather than later.
Considering that a loss to the Celtics has resulted in the Heat falling to 21-20 for the season, Miami will need every ounce of effort from its players to climb up the ranks of the East and secure a playoff spot.
