If the Miami Heat are going to return to contention status this year, they’re going to need a huge boost from their young core. The biggest onus could fall on the shoulders of Kel’el Ware. But after a shaky summer, there’s no guarantee that Ware will be able to hold up his end of the bargain.

And if he doesn’t, it could end up changing the Heat’s trajectory as a team – and for the worse.

I wouldn’t suggest that the Heat’s season is going to be made or broken by Ware, but there’s no question he’s going to play a big part in whether they take an unexpected step forward as a team.

After failing to land a star player this summer, the Heat find themselves in a position in which they’re likely going to need a big internal leap from an unexpected young player. Ware is probably the one young player on their roster with the best chance to fill that role.

However, if Ware hasn’t shaken off his early summer issues, Miami could be in for a rude awakening.

How will Ware respond to being called out?

At this point, one of the bigger questions for the Heat heading into the start of training camp and the regular season will revolve around Ware and how he ends up responding to being called out by Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra during the summer.

After a slow start to his summer league stint, in an attempt to motivate Ware, Spo singled out his “professionalism” as an issue that needed to be addressed.

In response, Ware closed out the summer league strong. However, you can’t help but wonder if Ware put his best foot forward during those final two games in an attempt to get Spo (and the heat, no pun intended) off his back, or if something had suddenly clicked for the young player.

If Ware is not ready to embrace a bigger role for the Heat this season, it will only complicate this team’s future even further. If Ware isn’t the blue-chip prospect that the franchise believes he is, what does that say about the realities the front office must face with the rest of this young core?

Either way, I don’t think that narrative has been completely put to rest. And it will certainly have a huge hand in what path this season will take for the Heat.

There are so many interesting aspects of this Heat team that will play a huge role in determining whether this “gap” year will be remembered as a success or failure. Ware, the headlining player of their young core, is probably closer to the top of the list than many are willing to admit.