Heat big men Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware have expressed interest in sharing the court more often, though both understand that increased playing time together must be supported by improved results, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.
For much of the season, the Adebayo/Ware pairing ranked among Miami’s least effective two-man combinations statistically, but recent performances suggest the duo may be starting to find better rhythm, Chiang adds.
In a matchup against the Rockets, the Heat leaned more heavily on the pairing, and Miami outscored Houston by 21 points during the 16 minutes they played together.
“I mean, it felt good,” Ware said. “It felt like the days when I’ve played alongside him recently. So, I mean, it felt good.”
To help maximize the pairing, head coach Erik Spoelstra introduced a tactical adjustment by deploying the two big men within a zone defensive scheme, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
The change appeared to highlight both players’ strengths on defense.
“Both of those guys were really good in our zone,” Spoelstra said.
“Kel’el, that was one of his better jobs in the zone, just communicating, and protecting in that inner circle … Bam was super dynamic at the center position in the zone, and when you play him in the wing (in the zone), he’s our best wing defender, as well.”
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