Power play? Kel’el Ware, Haywood Highsmith make case for shaking up Heat rotation

Kelel Ware could have spent the first two weeks of the season brooding from the Miami Heat bench.

Instead, he listened and learned.

That, said the 7-footer out of Indiana selected at No.

15 last June helped ease the shift into his first rotation of role of the season.

After watching the minutes at backup center go to Thomas Bryant in the seasons first six games, Ware got the call from coach Erik Spoelstra late in the first quarter of Wednesday nights 115-112 loss to the Phoenix Suns at the start of this six-game trip that continues Friday night against the Denver Nuggets.

Ive been putting in the work, trying to build up my body to build up my skills to be able to go out there and perform, Ware said.

So it was great to have the opportunity.

While it was a somewhat uneven showing, Ware closing with seven points, three rebounds, two steals, a blocked shot and a 3-pointer in his 13:35, it also was a significant breakthrough.

I would say its more of first time being out there like that, just first-time minutes, he said.

Once you get them out of the way, I feel like for everybody its going to be better.

Ware said he had no issue with the waiting game, to a degree finding it beneficial.

Just being able to watch, being able to watch everything and see how everything is coming, and how I can have an effect on things, he said.

All while taking in all that Heat big men Bryant, Bam Adebayo and Kevin Love had to impart.

Im always talking to TB, talking to Bam, talking to K-Love, just trying to learn from them and learn as much as I can, the lithe 20-year-old said.

It led to the needed trust from Spoelstra .

Related Articles Its satisfying, Ware said.

I guess you could say its more a dream come true, because you put in the work.

to be able to perform at your best.

Spoelstra said it was the right time, right opponent, right spot.

Yeah, I thought as the game went on he got more comfortable, Spoelstra said.

The way they do things, we felt like he could present some challenges for them at the rim.

Hes been really progressing quickly behind the scenes.

He kept himself ready.

I thought his minutes were very good.

I thought they were encouraging.

Teammate Jimmy Butler said he sees even better days ahead.

I think he did great jumping up there, contesting shots, rebounding, he made a three, made a little hook, Butler said.

The more plays, the more reps that he gets, the more comfortable hes going to get, and hes going to be able to pick his spots a lot better on the floor.

That only comes with time and reps.

Hes got a lot of time to get better with that.

Ware wasnt the only change in Spoelstras rotation, with Haywood Highsmith starting the second half in place of starting power forward Nikola Jovic, who was limited Wednesday night to his initial 5:16 stint.

Highsmith, by contrast, played 16:54 in the second half, 30:36 overall.

H had given us good minutes in that first half, and we were looking to do something just to change the energy of these third quarters, Spoelstra said.

It had nothing to do with Niko.

It was more about their lineup.

Wednesdays rotation had Bryant, Josh Richardson and Dru Smith out of the mix, even with Jaime Jaquez Jr.

sidelined by gastroenteritis.

Asked if Wednesday could lead to an increased role for Highsmith, who closed with 19 points and seven rebounds, Spoelstra said.

Im not even thinking about that right now.

Look, this is quarter to quarter, game to game.

Nothing is in concrete where we are right now.

Amid an up-and-down start to the season that largely has been down, Adebayo on Wednesday night closed 5 of 21 from the field, for 12 points.

Spoelstra instead chose to point to his centers 12 rebounds, six assists and five steals.

We know who he is, Spoelstra said.

It was an anomaly.

He had three or four sometimes in one possession, all makeable shots.

Thats just sometimes the breaks of the game.

Or not.

Adebayo is at .398 from the field so far this season, after shooting at least .512 each of his previous seven seasons..

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