Kel’el Ware has had his ups and downs. Lately, though, the Miami Heat’s first-round pick from 2024 has been surging.
The Heat are hoping for more production from their 7-footer Tuesday night when they play host to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Heat, who have won four of their past six games, are coming off a 115-105 win over Houston on Saturday. Ware played the entire fourth quarter and finished with 13 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
“Big fella brought it today,” Heat star Bam Adebayo said of Ware, who has averaged 12.5 points and 11.0 rebounds over his past eight games. “(Heat coach Erik Spoelstra) challenged him in walk-through, and (Ware) responded. We just need him to keep that consistent mindset.”
The 6-foot-10 Adebayo said he enjoys when Spoelstra pairs him with Ware in a double-big lineup.
“(Ware) listens to me,” Adebayo said. “Sometimes he ignores ‘Spo.’ But I’ve banked so much equity with (Ware) throughout the summer (from 6 a.m. workouts).
“He has to earn his minutes, but when he’s out there with me, I feel like he gets better.”
The Heat, who are 18-11 at home, are playing without All-Star Norman Powell (groin). Powell leads Miami with 22.5 points per game.
With Powell out Saturday, Miami returned Tyler Herro to the starting lineup. It was the first start for Herro — who has been dealing with fractured ribs — since Jan. 15. Herro, who has played just 16 games this season, ranks second on the team in scoring average (21.0 ppg).
Meanwhile, the Nets are 7-23 on the road and sit third from the bottom in the overall league standings.
The Nets are coming off a 106-102 home loss to Cleveland on Sunday afternoon. It was Brooklyn’s eighth straight loss, the longest active streak in the NBA.
Brooklyn, which already has clinched its third straight losing season, is among several teams vying for better draft lottery odds to have a better shot at a loaded class that should include Duke’s Cameron Boozer, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa.
So, perhaps that offers hope for Nets fans. But for now, the Nets have one of the least-talented rosters in the league.
An exception to that is Michael Porter Jr., who leads the Nets in scoring with a career-high average of 24.5.
However, Porter has slumped lately after a strong start that included a 26.1 scoring average over his first 28 games. Over his previous nine games before Sunday, Porter had averaged 19.6 points. He broke out of his rut on Sunday with 26 points against the Cavs.
“It’s the feel, the timing,” Porter told the New York Post of his statistical dip. “My shot hadn’t felt this off since I can remember.
“You can really lose your touch in two or three days of not playing.”
To his point, Porter missed the two games prior to the All-Star break due to the death of his grandmother. Then he was snubbed for the All-Star Game, so he sat some more.
“I (was) paying the price (for not getting in the gym),” Porter said.
