MIAMI – There is no doubt that fans have been wanting to see more playing time for Miami Heat rookie Kel’el Ware, who was selected with the 15th overall pick in the latest NBA Draft. They would get that wish during the Heat’s collapse to the Orlando Magic, but fans can still take away the continuous improvement from Ware as he’s in the same locker room with dynamic players like Bam Adebayo and Kevin Love.

Ware would log 14 minutes as he finished with eight points on making all four of his shots from the field to go along with seven rebounds and two blocks as he led the team with a +26 on the floor. Speaking before Monday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, head coach Erik Spoelstra would name to ClutchPoints certain traits that both Adebayo and Love have that he wants to see from Ware, but also emphasizes being his own person.

“Yeah, I haven’t really looked at it from that standpoint, but certainly the professionalism of each of them, the work ethic,” Spoelstra said. “You know, take some of the rebounding traits from K-Love, some of the defensive versatility from Bam, but there he’s different. He brings something different. That’s what we like about him and he had some really good minutes the other night.”

Heat’s Bam Adebayo on how Kel’el Ware has stuck with the “process”

Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) dunks the ball against the Orlando Magic in the first quarter at Kia Center.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Heat’s captain in Adebayo would speak highly about Ware after the loss to the Magic where the Heat lost a 22-point lead going into the fourth quarter, losing as they only scored eight points. Still, Adebayo was impressed with the Indiana University product as he is “sticking with the process” in his development according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“He’s just understanding the process,” Adebayo said. “It’s a marathon not a sprint at the end of the day, and I think he’s starting to understand that. I always make the joke that I didn’t play as a rookie. So obviously you look at what I’ve done in my career, if you would have seen me in my rookie year, you would have been like there’s no way this kid is going to be him now. So like I said, just sticking with the process.”

As for Love, he is a veteran in this league who has seen everything, including an NBA championship, but had elite abilities whether it be on the glass or on the offensive side of the ball. The 36-year-old would mention how Ware “listens to every single one” on the team in order to get better.

“He has really fit in with us well because he just continues to work hard,” Love said. “He listens to every single one of us, he wants to apply things that are taught to him both on and off the floor, He has really just continued to chase the game. Even at practice, we just sometimes put him on defense and have him guard the rim and just try to block every shot. We don’t care if it’s a goaltend, we don’t care if he smacks the ball into the fifth row. … That’s what we want to see from him. He’s a guy who can really do that.”

At any rate, Ware hopes to get consistent minutes as Miami is 13-13 before the game against Brooklyn where they hope to snap a three-game skid.