For plenty of Miami Heat fans, one of the biggest takeaways from Miami’s preseason opener versus the Orlando Magic on Saturday had to do with the look of the team’s starting lineup. The Heat opted to start Nikola Jovic next to Bam Adebayo in the frontcourt and rolled with Kel’el Ware off the bench.

The decision from the Heat to start Jovic over Ware has sparked a lot of debate over which of the two young big men should be in their opening lineup. Let’s break down the cases for both players to be starters in the coming season.

The case for Ware

It’s worth noting that Ware outplayed Jovic on Saturday despite not getting the starting nod. He finished with just as many points as Jovic all the while being a lot more impactful on the glass. Ware grabbed nine rebounds compared to Jovic’s three.

Should the second-year player continue to outshine Jovic across the remainder of Miami’s preseason stint, that will only aid his argument to be in the team’s opening lineup.

But his case to be a starter at the highest level goes way beyond that. He’s clearly the best defensive player of the two youthful big men.

As a rookie, Ware showed the potential to mold into one of the better rim protectors in the league one day. He accumulated 1.1 blocks per game and 1.8 blocks per 36 minutes of playing time as a neophyte. The 7-footer is someone opposing players have to be wary of when attacking the basket, and starting him next to another great defender in Adebayo could create a dominant defensive duo in Miami.

Such a starting duo could be just what the doctor ordered for Miami’s defense on the inside to take that jump from just good to great. The Heat ranked near the middle of the pack in points allowed in the paint per game last season.

Ultimately, folks would be hard-pressed to find a better defensive combo at the power forward and center positions in all of basketball should Ware start next to Adebayo. Heat fans who want him to start instead of Jovic are surely hoping he outplays the 22-year-old again on Monday.

The case for Jovic

First and foremost, the Heat don’t have to worry about positional redundancy with starting Jovic. While Ware is a classified center just like Adebayo, Jovic is more of a natural power forward. He’s spent the entirety of his playing career up to this point playing that position.

Plus, while starting Ware could raise Miami’s defensive ceiling, rolling with Jovic could do the same for the team on offense. Jovic has a more well-rounded offensive skill set compared to the No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

For one, he’s the only one of the two who has ever averaged double digits in points per game in an NBA campaign. Jovic scored a career-high 10.7 per contest last season.

Moreover, while Ware’s 3-point shot is still very much a work in progress, Jovic is a confident and capable threat from out there. After a rough rookie campaign shooting the 3, Jovic has shot 38.3 percent from deep on 4.1 attempts per game over the last two seasons.

Jovic even has the clear edge over Ware in terms of playmaking chops. The foreign-born player was an effective secondary playmaker for the Heat in spurts last season, as he ranked in the top six on the team in assists per game with 2.8. Meanwhile, Ware averaged less than 1.0 assist per game as a rookie and didn’t show a great capacity to make plays for his teammates.

If Miami wants to start a big man who will put its offense in the best position to succeed, Jovic is the clear-cut choice over Ware.

Verdict

There are clear pros and cons to starting Ware or Jovic, but maybe the best course of action would be for Miami to see how the rest of its preseason schedule plays out before coming to a decision. Whichever one of the two plays better in Miami’s preseason stint should get the start in its season opener, and the team can adjust the lineup as it sees fit based on how either one of them fares as a starter.