After a sluggish start to Summer League play and receiving pointed criticism from Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra about his overall effort and approach, second-year center Kel’el Ware delivered a strong bounce-back performance Sunday night, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Rising to the challenge, Ware put together an impressive stat line with 21 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks in his fourth Summer League appearance. He also showcased his range, knocking down two of his three attempts from beyond the arc.
Still, Jackson notes that Ware has room to improve – particularly in areas such as boxing out on the defensive glass and hustling back in transition defense. The Heat staff is pushing him to tighten the fundamentals and play with greater urgency.
“He’s the coach, and he has that trust in me,” Ware said of Spoelstra’s criticism. “He wants to see me be the best I can be. So I took it as motivation.”
Summer League coach Eric Glass echoed that sentiment, expressing confidence in Ware’s ceiling while emphasizing the importance of consistency.
“When he comes in with that focus and that intensity, the rest of his game blossoms,” Glass said. “He has that potential, and we want to see him do it again tomorrow.”
Southeast Notes: KJ Simpson, Ware, Toppin, Magic Coaches https://t.co/9Ko6RyQ3RQ pic.twitter.com/M9NdQhG7DA
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