Ware got his first start against the Portland Trail Blazers, and even though they lost 116-107, Ware finished with a stat line of 20 points, 15 rebounds, and two blocks, which made him the second player in NBA history to do that in their first start since David Robinson in 1989.

Being mentioned in the same sentence as Robinson is significant, especially considering what he accomplished in his career. Ware has a long way to go in his career, but it was a great way to perform at the first start of his career.

Heat see the upside in Kel’el Ware

After Kel’el Ware’s big game, head coach Erik Spoelstra and Bam Adebayo spoke highly of his performance and how he impacted the game against the Trail Blazers.

“The rebounding, he did some really good things defensively at the rim,” Spoelstra said. “He’ll continue to get better. You know when to go, when not to go, when to wall up. You know, if a guy catches it in the paint, those things, it’ll get better. But you know, the upside, obviously is very encouraging, and that’s why he’s in the starting lineup right now. We just frankly need to get him in there for more minutes, whether it was off the bench or starting, and it’s an easier way to make that happen.”

One thing that has Heat fans excited for years to come is the frontcourt pairing of Ware and Bam Adebayo and how they can make plays on both sides of the ball. When asked about Ware’s game, Adebayo wasn’t surprised about what he did and what he will do in the future.

“Wasn’t surprised at all,” Adebayo said. “Spo’s one of those guys, once he sees something working, he just goes for it, and that’s what we’re gonna do, figure it out. It’s not, he’s one of the young guys that really wants to soak the information and learn so for us and me is, you know, just bringing him along and helping them figure out because as y’all can see, he’s a talent in this league, and I feel like he’ll be around for a long time.”