I don't understand Kel'el Ware.
He had great pre-draft measurements. He was 6-11 and three quarters without shoes. So you would expect him to be 7-1 with shoes. He had a long wingspan at 7 foot 4 and a half. A standing reach of 9 foot 4 and a half. He had a good vertical. Yet, everytime I watch him play he looks small. Not just small in terms of lack of bulk (but yes) but also small in terms of length as a shot-blocking deterrent.
He also seems to be getting slower as time goes on. That happens sometimes with young bigs as they put on muscle. But he hasn't put on that much muscle yet. He still regularly gets pushed around by other bigs.
You would think a guy with those physical tools would impact the game more defensively than Ware does.
Then his effort level & motor are subpar. I remember that being a criticism of him entering the draft. Then he changed the narrative with his play in summer league and early regular season appearances. But as time has gone on, he has gone back to lazy levels of effort.
It is all so ... disappointing.
