Kel’el Ware’s Playing Time Sparks Questions, But Spoelstra Preaches Patience
MIAMI - The Miami Heat dropped a 125-118 decision to a short-handed Chicago Bulls squad on Saturday night, but the final score wasn’t the only thing fans were buzzing about. The spotlight quickly shifted to Kel’el Ware - the Heat’s promising second-year big man and newly named Rising Star for All-Star Weekend - and his limited role in the game.
Ware, fresh off a hamstring injury and playing in just his third game back, logged a mere three minutes and 11 seconds off the bench. In that brief stint, he tallied two points, one rebound, and an assist - but also struggled defensively, which ultimately led to head coach Erik Spoelstra sitting him for the remainder of the contest.
Erik Spoelstra on Kel’el Ware only playing three minutes and 11 seconds tonight in loss to Bulls:
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) February 1, 2026
“Look, I know every press conference ends up becoming about him, and I really don't want it to be that…This is not an indictment on Kel’el. This game was so fast…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/6svWl6bFnY
Naturally, that decision raised eyebrows. Ware’s talent isn’t in question - the 21-year-old has flashed serious upside all season - but his inconsistent minutes have become a recurring topic in Spoelstra’s postgame pressers. And once again, the Heat head coach addressed the elephant in the room.
“I know every press conference ends up becoming about him, and I really don't want it to be that,” Spoelstra said. “This is not an indictment on Kel’el.
This game was so fast - they were playing small forwards at center. The advantage was the speed and the quickness… it was just not a typical game.”
Spoelstra made it clear that Saturday’s matchup was more about game flow than player evaluation. With the Bulls going ultra-small, the Heat opted to match that look by sliding Bam Adebayo and Nikola Jovic into center duties.
Adebayo delivered his usual two-way impact with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Jovic, though, struggled to find rhythm offensively, finishing with just two points on 1-of-6 shooting.
Still, Ware’s brief appearance - and quick hook - felt like déjà vu. Just a couple of weeks ago, in a loss to the Celtics, Spoelstra faced similar scrutiny after limiting Ware’s minutes.
That night, postgame comments about young players “sabotaging games” in short stints were widely interpreted as a veiled reference to Ware. Spoelstra later walked those comments back, but the tension around Ware’s playing time hasn’t gone away.
To be clear, this isn’t a case of a young player falling out of favor. If anything, Spoelstra continues to emphasize how much he values Ware’s work ethic and potential.
“There’ll be better opportunities, and we have to find a way to make it work,” Spoelstra said. “I have two talented young bigs, and I have to find a way to make some of the lineups with Kel’el a positive.
That’s not on him. Some of the lineups we’ve gone to haven’t been successful.
We don’t have a lot of practice time, but he’s been diligent working behind the scenes. He’ll be ready.”
It’s a classic case of development versus urgency - balancing the need to win now with the importance of grooming young talent. Ware’s sophomore season has been a mixed bag, but the upside is clear.
He’s averaging 11.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game, while shooting an efficient 54% from the field and an impressive 42.2% from beyond the arc. That kind of shooting touch from a 7-footer is rare - and a big reason why Miami sees him as a long-term piece.
The Heat are still figuring out how to maximize Ware’s skill set in a rotation that already features a do-it-all big in Adebayo and a stretch-forward in Jovic. It’s not an easy puzzle to solve, especially in a season where injuries and lineup shifts have been constant.
But Spoelstra’s message is clear: this isn’t about punishment, and it’s not about doubt. It’s about fit - and finding the right moments to unleash a young player who’s still learning the NBA ropes.
Ware will get another shot soon - possibly as early as Sunday night when the Heat face the Bulls again. The question isn’t whether he’s talented enough. It’s how and when Miami can tap into that talent without sacrificing the flow of the game.
For now, the Heat are playing the long game. And if Ware keeps putting in the work behind the scenes, his time will come - sooner rather than later.