An epiphany? Kel’el Ware didn’t quite go that far, but there now appears to be greater appreciation by the second-year Miami Heat center that he is playing in a man’s league, with big-boy rules.
So when push comes to shove, Ware said there is an understanding that he can push and shove.
“Honestly, the refs let you play down there,” Ware said of his recent revelation. “It took me a little while to actually figure it out. But now I know you can go get them.”
And “get them” the 2024 first-round pick has done, including 14 in Friday night’s 143-107 victory over the Chicago Bulls to start this two-game trip that concludes Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
That made it a career-best seven consecutive games in double figures for the 7-footer, with Friday’s total coming as a starter in light of Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic being sidelined from the trip due to hip injuries.
“Honestly I feel like it’s not really a role, in that I can go in the game any moment and what the team needs is rebounds,” Ware said of starting or playing in reserve. “I can go in there with any unit, at any time, and impact the team that way.”
To coach Erik Spoelstra, the rebounding revival is right on time.
“He’s being much more intentional,” Spoelstra said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect basketball. Nobody plays perfect basketball. But the intentions have to be there, attention to detail. He’s rebounding. He’s making his presence felt with his size. He still had some where either he got stripped or bobbled or that kind of thing, but he’s getting better.
“He’s stacking up good day after good day. And the important thing about these games, he’s feeling the importance of the games. He’s playing meaningful minutes. He understands the responsibility to play well. And he’s recognizing if it doesn’t go well, what he needs to correct. That’s a big-time improvement from last year, where he wasn’t really recognizing what was happening.”
Powell perseveres
After missing three games earlier this season with a strained right groin, Heat forward Norman Powell briefly had to retreat to the locker room Friday with what initially was classified as a strained left groin. Through it all, he persevered to go 24:39 and close with 19 points.
“I just felt it on that last layup I had in the first (quarter) and wanted to get it checked and make sure that there was nothing more serious than that,” he said. “We wrapped it up, did a little test and I’m always going to try to fight through pain and injuries. I love the game too much. I don’t want to take anything for granted.
“If I’m able to play and I feel like I can play, I’m going to go out there and give it the best I can. I know the team needs me out there and I’m just glad it’s nothing too serious.”
But it was, however, still somewhat nagging.
“It felt good,” he said of the balance of Friday’s stint. “I felt it here and there. I thought we did a great job of adding some extra support for it. But yeah, I saw the doctors and they’re not worried about it. They don’t think it can get any worse.
“So it’s all about pain tolerance. I have a high pain tolerance, so I’m not too worried about it.”
The Heat reclassified the ailment as a hip irritation, with Powell listed as probable for Sunday. Still out for Heat are Tyler Herro (ankle), Jovic (hip), Wiggins (hip), Kasparas Jakucionis (G League), Vlad Goldin (G League) and Terry Rozier (not with team).
Keshad’s turn
With Wiggins and Jovic out, Spoelstra turned to the end of his bench Friday and seldom-used second-year forward Keshad Johnson responded with his first career double-double, with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
“I’m really happy for KJ, because he’s been so dedicated behind the scenes,” Spoelstra said. “And when I’ve given him some minutes, they haven’t been fair. This was the first game where I played him at the four. The other games I’ve played him at the five. The first game was against (Denver’s Nikola) Jokic. I mean, come on, that’s not even fair. But he has stayed diligent.”
And ready.
“It’s a next-man mentality, kind of like coach Spo told me to be ready and just do what I do — bring energy. And that’s what I was able to bring,” Johnson said. “With Wiggs’ minutes being gone and Jovic’s minutes being gone, everybody got to step up.”