Miami are really high on Kel'el Ware - snippets from two articles in the Miami Herald
The Miami Heat?s front office and scouting department targeted Indiana center Kel?el Ware during the predraft process and were thrilled he was still available when it was their turn to make a pick in the first round.
?We feel very fortunate that we were able to get the specific player we wanted, that can complement our team, can complement Bam [Adebayo],? Heat president Pat Riley said at the start of Ware?s introductory news conference on Friday afternoon at Kaseya Center.
?[Heat vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager] Adam Simon and all of the people involved ? [Heat vice president of player personnel] Eric Amsler, [Heat director of college and pro scouting] Keith Askins, [Heat senior advisor of basketball operations] Chet Kammerer ? his name kept popping up all the time in front of me. The videos kept coming, the workout was exceptional on the day that he was here, and we never ever deviated from where he was on the board.?
Talking about his skill-set & fit
?Kel?el is a three-and-D center,? said Adam Simon, who is the Heat?s vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager. ?It is not easy to find 7-footers who can play out on the perimeter offensively and also be able to defend with his ability to shot block and defend the post. For us, that was very appealing.?
?He?s going to give us versatility on both ends,? Simon said. ?I think his skill set fits us. The things he does well are going to be things that coach [Erik Spoelstra] is going to be able to use. I think it?s a great fit. To be able to block shots, defend the rim, shoot threes, he?s got a great touch in the post. I think his skill set will be great to play with Bam [Adebayo] and as well as when Bam is off the court.?
?He?s a willing shooter,? Simon said. ?I think you look at this stroke, it?s very fluid and very easy. ... He?s a threat. The idea of being able to put him in position to space the court, I think we feel like his shot is good now. Obviously, we?re going to work on it with him to get it even better. But just being comfortable shooting threes at this point, it?s definitely a plus.?
The Heat also views Ware as a player who can develop into a versatile defender with his combination of size and agility despite playing mostly drop coverage in college.
?We?re going to show him more here and we?re going to teach him different coverages,? Simon continued. ?I think that?s the evolution of a young player who played in a system in college. I think we?ll be able to have his defensive skill set evolve. Those are the things that are appealing to us. The ability for him to slide, his lateral movement. But also that length, the ability to contest.?
On concerns about his effort, intensity & work ethic
Ware?s effort and focus were called into question by some predraft scouting reports, as the Ringer?s scouting report noted that his ?effort and focus have wavered going back to high school. He?ll disappear for an entire half. His desire to box out and play with physicality is a notable concern, and he?s been bullied by players of a comparable size to him.?
Oregon men?s basketball coach Dana Altman often challenged Ware to play harder. After Ware?s role was reduced during his lone season at Oregon as a freshman, Altman said: ?We?ve had a lot of conversations. They haven?t gone as well and haven?t been as constructive as we want them to be. I was disappointed in his effort. I let him know that. He?s gonna have to make some adjustments or I?ve got to make some decisions.?
After a shaky freshman season at Oregon, Ware transferred to Indiana and thrived in a bigger role as a sophomore.
But the Heat isn?t worried about Ware?s ?effort and focus,? as Simon made clear Wednesday that the Heat ?did a lot of background on him? and ?everybody says he?s a willing worker and he wants to get better.?
?I think that?s a low hanging fruit description of him,? Simon said when asked about some questioning Ware?s effort. ?Kel?el is not that. I think he went to Oregon, was playing behind an established player and an older player. He played in every game out there. He saw a better situation for himself to go to Indiana.
?He played with a motor, he played with intensity. I think we?re talking about a young player that has an edge to him. That description of him, I feel like he?s shown that he?s going to come out and put points on the board, he can block shots, he rebounds. To me, that doesn?t seem like a player that fits that description.?
His physical tools
Ware comes with upside at 20 years old, an intriguing skill set and adds much-needed functional size to the Heat?s roster. He stands at 7-feet and 230 pounds with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, immediately becoming the tallest player on a Heat roster that didn?t include a 7-footer last season.
Ware also recorded the third-longest standing reach and tied for third-longest hand length at last month?s NBA Draft combine. Among centers at the combine, he posted the third-highest standing vertical leap, second-fastest shuttle run and second-fastest lane agility drill.
The article mentioned comparisons to Jarrett Allen & Myles Turner.
All of that information is making me excited about this guy. Give him a year or two to develop and he could be a very interesting player for Miami. I am not expecting him to make an impact this year though. He doesn't sound ready for that. I expect more small ball with Bam at starting center and K-Love as backup center both surrounded by wing players.
