Historic Game Should Clinch Big-Time Honor For Miami Heat’s Kel’el Ware
Through a roller coaster regular season, Miami Heat’s Kel’el Ware has been one of their main bright spots.
Despite sitting out the beginning half of the year, Ware has been very productive as the Heat’s starting center. Over the last eight games, he’s averaging 13.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks on 68.3 percent shooting and 29.1 percent from three-point range.
Against the Philadelphia 76ers, Ware made history, becoming the third rookie ever to finish with a double-double without any missed shots or turnovers. While playing essentially perfectly as he did against them isn’t realistic, his potential has been on display for how impactful he will be to the Heat’s future.
With a 111.2 offensive rating, Ware ranks ninth among rookies this season. Compared to other notable veterans such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert, his play has garnered him as much praise as of late. According to Heat insider Barry Jackson, Ware has reached the top 20 in the league in both blocks and rebounds, surpassing both. If he continues to play at this level, Ware will almost be a lock for a First-Team All-Rookie selection.
MIAMI HEAT’S ERIK SPOELSTRA “DISAPPOINTED” IN LATEST NBA COACH FIRING
There have only been a few head coaches in NBA history who guaranteed their job position.
Unfortunately, the Memphis Grizzlies fired Taylor Jenkins after six seasons on Mar. 28. He led them to the postseason three times, but only reached the second round once. It wasn’t always Jenkins’ fault, as their stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. constantly dealt with injuries or Morant’s 25-game suspension.
The Grizzlies’ schedule for the remainder of the regular season is the ninth most difficult in the league. They thought it was time for a change because of their struggles against teams with winning records despite being fifth in the Western Conference.
Jenkins was the fifth-longest tenured coach in the league, with the four ahead of him all winning championships. He passed Lionel Hollins and will finish his tenure with the most wins in franchise history. Assistant coach Tuomas Lisalo will replace him as the interim coach for the remainder of the year.
Erik Spoelstra shared his thoughts regarding Jenkins’ dismissal and how disappointing it is in this profession to have job security.
“It’s incredibly disappointing,” Spoelstra said. “This profession is tough, and you want to be in it together, through the good and the bad, and not looking for the easy escape route to point blame. His record speaks for itself.”
MIAMI HEAT LEGEND DWYANE WADE REVEALS CLEAR CUT CHOICE FOR LEAGUE MVP
The MVP race between Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is among the most challenging decisions in NBA history.
On one end, Jokic is statistically one of the most impressive players in basketball history. He became the fourth player to record 30 triple-doubles in a season after Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and Russell Westbrook. He will also be the first player to finish a season in the top three for points, rebounds, and assists.
Alexander is also having a historic season. He became the fourth player to have 65 consecutive games of scoring at least 20 points. He also became the third player to have three straight seasons with 45 30-point games, after Michael Jordan and Chamberlain. What may give him the edge in winning the MVP is the Oklahoma City Thunder’s record. Alexander is on pace to lead the Thunder to the fourth-best record in modern league history.
On the WY Network with Dwyane Wade, he shared his thoughts on who should win the award.
“One thing I have had an issue with in the MVP race is that Jokic has been so amazing, but it’s probably been two times when his team has been in fifth,” Wade said. “And I know that the Western Conference is a very challenging and tough league, but he’s been in fifth and he’s won MVP.”
Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook
