The Miami Heat may not have many untouchable assets on their roster heading into the offseason, but that may be beginning to change thanks to some recent comments from Bam Adebayo. After offering up some strong praise for Kel'el Ware, it's clear how much he values the young center. And if Bam feels that way about Ware, the Heat should absolutely take note. There's reason to believe that it could end up altering their approach heading into the offseason.
"[Kel’el Ware] has no ceiling. He’s a young big with athleticism. Obviously, he can block shots, he can run the floor, he can create his own shot. Sometimes, he makes something out of nothing."Bam Adebayo on Kel'el Ware
It may have taken a few months for Ware to get his feet under him during his rookie season, but once he started getting consistent minutes, there's no question his presence was felt. His potential was also difficult to ignore for Miami. It clearly left an impression on Bam.
Bam and Ware may be the frontcourt the Heat has been looking for
While sharing the floor together, the Bam and Ware lineups certainly began to change the math for the Heat a bit. Despite their underwhelming year, the rise of Bam was absolutely one of the lone bright spots for the Heat. In 541 minutes played together this past season, the Bam and Ware frontcourt had a net rating of 4.6. Perhaps what was most encouraging was the fact that the Heat's defense was borderline elite when the two shared the floor in the frontcourt.
The offense, which plagued the Heat almost all season long, was still very much a work in progress with both Bam and Ware on the floor, but there were plenty of encouraging signs that should give the Heat's confidence in this duo heading into the start of next season.
The Heat should be most encouraged by the fact that there still hasn't been a full season of sample size for their talented big man duo. For years, the Heat has been searching for a center who could effectively play next to Bam. While there were certainly some bumps during his rookie season, all signs do suggest that Ware could continue developing into that perfect fit for the Heat.
From all indications, it does sound as if Bam is encouraged by Ware's rookie season, too. And if Miami believes Bam is a key part of the foundation moving forward, there's a good chance that he's advocating strongly for Ware. Not only does Ware help remove pressure defensively from Bam, but he also helps give him even more flexibility and freedom on the offensive end of the floor.
The question is, will the Heat agree with Bam that Ware is just scratching the surface of the potential player he can be in the future? If so, Ware may have played his way into untouchable status during his rookie season.
