Ware had 22 points (9-15 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, two blocks and one steal over 35 minutes during Thursday's 125-96 loss to the Bucks.
The standout rookie big man kept his foot on the gas Thursday, piling up a team-high 22 points en route to his third double-double of the campaign. Considering Haywood Highsmith was mostly ineffective as a starter for the Heat during the first half of the season, the starting job alongside Bam Adebayo in Miami's frontcourt appears to be Ware's to lose at this point. Over his last eight contests, Ware has averaged 14.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 three-pointers in 26.1 minutes while shooting 55.1 percent from the field.
Ware recorded 20 points (8-17 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 15 rebounds and two blocks in 39 minutes during Tuesday's 116-107 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Ware was rewarded with his first career start Tuesday after a strong outing against San Antonio. The rookie center paid back coach Eric Spoelstra's trust by putting up a career-high 15 rebounds and posting a plus-eight point differential despite losing. If Ware can keep performing at a high level, he will likely continue to start alongside Bam Adebayo in Miami's frontcourt.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Earns first career start Tuesday
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Ware will start Tuesday's game against Portland, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
Ware will make his first NBA start Tuesday alongside Bam Adebayo in Miami's frontcourt, supplanting Haywood Highsmith from the first unit. The rookie first-rounder is averaging 12.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 threes while shooting 45.8 percent from three-point land in 20.6 minutes over his last 11 games.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Standout performance off bench
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Ware amassed 25 points (10-19 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 34 minutes during Sunday's 128-107 victory over the Spurs.
It was a standout performance off Miami's bench by Ware, who ended up exceeding Bam Adebayo's minutes total while matching his season high with 25 points to lead the team in Sunday's rout. Ware has made a serious case for more playing time with the Heat since the calendar flipped to January, as he's averaging 12.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 threes while shooting 45.8 percent from three-point land in 20.6 minutes over his last 11 games. The rookie first-rounder's fantasy upside will remain capped while Adebayo is healthy, but Ware is flashing a unique skill set for providing treys and swats alongside a high field-goal percentage.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Officially active
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Ware (foot) will play in Wednesday's game against the Lakers.
Ware saw 33 minutes off the bench Monday due to the absence of Bam Adebayo (back) but should see his minutes dip down Wednesday with Adebayo healthy. In the 12 games before Monday's outburst, Ware averaged 8.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks across 16.2 minutes.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Likely to play against Los Angeles
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Ware (foot) is probable for Wednesday's game against the Lakers.
After notching his first career double-double off Miami's bench in Monday's game against the Clippers, Ware is managing right foot soreness but is likely to play Wednesday. The rookie big man is averaging 11.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 threes in 20.0 minutes while shooting 65.5 percent from the floor over his last eight games. The Heat may need Ware to play a significant role against Los Angeles if Bam Adebayo (back) remains sidelined.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: First double-double of career
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Ware totaled 19 points (7-11 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 13 rebounds, one block and one steal across 33 minutes during Monday's 109-98 loss to the Clippers.
The rookie big man out of Indiana notched a double-double for the first time in his career, and he took advantage of the absence of Bam Adebayo (back) to clear the 25-minute mark for the first time as well. Ware has scored in double digits in four of his last eight contests, a span in which he's averaging 11.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Ties season high in rebounds
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Ware amassed eight points (4-5 FG), seven rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal over 19 minutes during Thursday's 97-92 win over the Jazz.
Ware played fewer than 20 minutes for a third straight game but remains a key part of Miami's bench unit due to Jimmy Butler's (suspension) absence. Over his last six appearances, the rookie first-round pick has averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 1.0 assists and 0.7 steals while shooting 68.4 percent from the field in 18.3 minutes per game.
Ware posted 25 points (9-11 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 4-5 FT), one assist, three blocks and one steal over 21 minutes during Thursday's 128-115 loss to the Pacers.
Ware had the best game of his young career by a sizable margin. The rookie struggled to crack the rotation in the first weeks of the season but has logged double-digit minutes in each of his last seven games, averaging 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game off the bench in that span. He should continue to see minutes off the bench going forward, especially if Miami trades Jimmy Butler ahead of the deadline.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Tallies career-high 10 points
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Ware accumulated 10 points (4-4 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one block across 17 minutes during Wednesday's 119-108 win over the Pelicans.
Ware scored a career-high 10 points, delivering another encouraging performance. After playing a sporadic role to begin the season, Ware appears to have assumed the role of backup center behind Bam Adebayo. After Thomas Bryant was traded to Indiana, Ware shifted up in the rotation, an indication that the coaching staff has enough trust to get him out there on a regular basis.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Turns heads off bench
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Ware chipped in nine points (4-6 FG, 1-2 3Pt), seven rebounds, one block and two steals across 17 minutes during Monday's 110-95 win over the Nets.
After being out of the rotation for nearly a month, Ware has been getting the backup center minutes in two straight games. He's been productive in limited run, averaging 8.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in just 15.5 minutes during that span. He's certainly someone worth monitoring in deeper formats with his newfound minutes.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Recalled by Miami
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Miami recalled Ware from the G League's Sioux Falls Skyforce on Monday.
Ware played in Sunday's 114-112 G League loss to Grand Rapids, finishing with 20 points (9-14 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 0-1 FT), 10 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and two steals over 31 minutes. At the NBA level, however, Ware has played just 6.9 minutes per game across 10 contests.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Assigned to G League Friday
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Ware was assigned to the Heat's G League affiliate and has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Suns.
Ware will return to the G League, and he hasn't played in an NBA game since Nov. 27 due in part to right foot tendinitis. However, the rookie has been cleared to play and is expected to suit up for the Sioux Falls Skyforce's next matchup against the Grand Rapids Gold on Sunday.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Heads to G League
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The Heat assigned Ware (foot) to the G League's Sioux Falls Skyforce on Monday.
Ware is currently sidelined by a foot injury but is expected to play in the Skyforce's game against the Windy City Bulls on Thursday, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman's report implies that Ware won't be available for the Heat's next game Wednesday versus the Lakers, marking the rookie's third consecutive absence. Ware made nine appearances for the Heat in November but played double-digit minutes only twice, and he's since fallen out of the rotation with Kevin Love having settled in as the top backup to starting center Bam Adebayo.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Won't suit up Monday
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Ware (foot) will not play Monday against the Celtics.
Ware will miss his second game in a row, and his timetable remains murky at best. His absence doesn't carry many fantasy implications, however, as he's been a fringe rotation player for Miami.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Won't play Sunday
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Ware (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Raptors.
Ware was a late addition to the injury report before he was eventually ruled out due to right foot tendinitis. The rookie big man's absence shouldn't cause any waves in the rotation, as he has appeared in three of the Heat's last five games, during which he averaged 2.0 points and 2.3 rebounds across 7.3 minutes per game. Ware's next chance to play will come Monday versus Boston.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Downgraded to questionable Sunday
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Ware is questionable for Sunday's game against the Raptors due to right foot tendinitis, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
Ware was a late addition to the injury report while he deals with a lingering foot issue. The rookie has yet to carve out a significant role with the club and has appeared in three of its last five games, during which he averaged 2.0 points and 2.3 rebounds across 7.3 minutes per game.
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Heat's Kel'el Ware: Limited role continues
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Ware finished with four points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, one block and one steal over 12 minutes during Wednesday's 98-94 victory over Charlotte.
Ware continues to be used sparingly off the bench, logging double-digit minutes for just the second time all season. Despite putting together a strong preseason, Ware has struggled to carve out a consistent role. It does appear as though he has edged ahead of Thomas Bryant in the rotation, something that is certainly a step in the right direction. However, barring an injury to Bam Adebayo, Ware is likely to be limited moving forward.
