Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Heat's Spoelstra Benches Kel'el Ware in Second Half, Calls Out 'Wrong Direction' Trend

Miami is pressing the 21-year-old center for daily consistency despite his strong season averages.

Overview

  • After a 119-114 loss to the Celtics, Kel'el Ware played nine first‑half minutes and sat the entire second half, finishing with 3 points and 5 rebounds.
  • Erik Spoelstra said Ware needs to get back to the form he showed seven or eight weeks ago, saying he is currently "stacking days in the wrong direction."
  • Spoelstra also suggested some young players may subconsciously play poorly when unhappy with their minutes, adding that such an approach "is not how this works."
  • Ware’s role has shrunk over the past five games after averaging 24.5 minutes this season, with no outing above 17 minutes since a Timberwolves matchup.
  • Bam Adebayo urged Ware to prioritize daily discipline for consistency, while Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem questioned the notion that the young center might be intentionally playing poorly.