The Miami Warmth are in search of constructive indicators for the longer term as they face a brand new actuality.
Within the short-term the Miami Warmth are coping with out Jimmy Butler, who’s serving a seven-game suspension imposed by the group.
Barring a shock U-turn, Butler will go away Miami, even earlier than the commerce deadline or in the summertime, and the franchise are rebuilding for the longer term.
Regardless of coach Erik Spoelstra’s admiration for Butler, he’s specializing in the gamers he does have obtainable, together with rookie Kel’el Ware.
The Miami Warmth fell to a 109-98 loss towards the Los Angeles Clippers. Regardless of outscoring the Clippers within the first quarter and matching them within the fourth, the sport fell away within the third, the place LA went on a 36-20 run.
One participant who impressed was fifteenth general choose within the NBA Draft, Kel’el Ware.
The Warmth have are available for criticism for the choice, with the 76ers taking Jared McCain a choose later, and the Lakers grabbing Dalton Knecht with the seventeenth.
Kel’el Ware is exhibiting promise, nevertheless, with 19 factors and 13 rebounds towards the Clippers, and he wasn’t even within the beginning line-up.
This was Ware’s second highest scoring sport within the NBA, following 25 towards the Pacers earlier in January, and his finest ever rebound sport, nearly doubling his earlier better of seven.
Talking after the sport, Erik Spoelstra spoke extremely of Kel’el Ware, and urged he may have upped his rebounds, which have been probably the most on the group on the evening.
Spoelstra says he’s seeing steady enchancment from the 20-year-old prospect.
He stated: “The 13 rebounds, he may have had extra. He modified pictures beneath the rim.
“We wish him to raise, deflections…. He’s making progress. It appears to be daily that he’s studying one thing new.”
Kel’el Ware is enhancing and settling into life within the NBA, and as one of many youthful rookies, he’s exhibiting why the Warmth have been proper to be enthusiastic about him.
Pat Riley and co may have unearthed one other future star, who would make the approaching lack of Butler a bit simpler to digest.
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