Kel'el Ware, Miami Heat
There could be some pushback on the idea that Kel'el Ware has been one of the rookies from this year's draft class that has left much to be desired, but I'd cement myself behind this argument. And it revolves around not necessarily the idea that Ware was this dominant player during his time in college but instead, around the fact that he was considered one of the better players that participated in the NBA's Summer League. Ware, at least for now, has not been able to carry that success over to the Heat during the regular season.
Part of that could be the fact that the Heat rarely plays rookies and has a somewhat defined frontcourt rotation already in place but at the same time, some of that blame also has to be placed on Ware. If Ware was ready to play and contribute at a high level, he would be proving so by his showing in practices and in team meetings. At least for now, Ware hasn't been able to send that message to Miami's coaching staff and he's been a rare sighting for the team through the first couple of months of the season.
What to expect from Kel'el Ware down the stretch?
At least for now, the big question is what should we expect from Ware as he prepares for the second half of the season. That could be difficult to answer but the opportunity could be there for him to make an impact for the Heat. Miami needs a boost in the frontcourt and, in theory, Ware seems like an excellent fit next to Bam Adebayo - it was probably one of the reasons why the Heat was so willing to draft him in the first round. Ultimately, it all comes down to whether the Heat believes he's ready to contribute. If I had to guess, I'd suspect that the answer to that question, at least for now, is no.
Until that changes, perhaps we shouldn't expect much from Ware. Through the 23 games of the season for the Heat, Ware has only appeared in 10 games and in those appearances, he's only averaging seven minutes played. He's averaging two points and two rebounds per game on 40 percent shooting from the field. Considering how good he looked in summer league, Ware has been one big tease for Heat fans this season.