The Miami Heat have picked up wins and losses during this 2025 Summer League run and still have some unfinished business, but the most impactful development from this part of the team’s offseason happened off the court over the weekend in Las Vegas. Second-year center Kel’el Ware caught a public wake-up call.

Alarms are an essential part of excelling in Sin City since naps are the go-to method for rest, and the Heat’s Erik Spoelstra sounded off a loud one in his 21-year-old 7-footer’s face. The NBA’s longest-tenured head coach followed through on a conscious decision to make sure everyone knows the message Ware must step his game up has been delivered. 

The worst-case scenario, Ware getting defensive or failing to appreciate the concern and going into a shell, didn’t materialize. It’s Las Vegas, so Ware could’ve gone clubbing until the sun came up or hung out flinging dice.

Instead, it all played out in two parts. Spoelstra dropped the words “professionalism,” “consistency” and “improve” into his assessment of Ware’s development, feeding a hungry media scrum. Ware then went out the next day and had a dominant first half in the latest blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, this one Summer League-style.

“I just took it as motivation,” Ware said of Spoelstra’s tactic. “Obviously he’s the coach and he has the trust in me and he wants me to be the best I can be, so I took it as motivation.”

Ware scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half while adding three blocks and nine rebounds in under 27 minutes. How he handles Year 2 is crucial to Miami’s success going forward, and Spoelstra should be applauded for being so forward in his approach to this particular player’s development.

Because the Heat didn’t include Ware in trade talks for Kevin Durant, the perception is the team isn’t serious about competing for an NBA championship over the next few seasons. Ware could blow that chatter up by blossoming into what he has the potential to become –  a high-impact tag-team partner for Bam Adebayo up front. Clearly, the team believes he’s got to improve his work ethic and commitment to being great in order to reach that goal.

Ware was a prized recruit, didn’t live up to his potential at Oregon and fared better after transferring to Indiana. He’s got to work on laying the foundation for being great, and Miami believes it helps elite players grasp that understanding better than anyone else.

The overly sensitive balked at involving the press in a public calling out of Ware, holding him accountable to immerse himself in full “Heat Culture.” After letting go of their soft pillows, those critical of this approach should consider the reality of playing pro basketball in 2025. 

Ware was always going to face pressure in Year 2. Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s second season saw his production dip after an excellent rookie campaign. Even though they’re different players, Miami needed to be proactive in avoiding another sophomore slump.

Speculating on what Miami exactly wants to see Ware improve is of little consequence. Spoelstra’s tone is that he wants him to put in more effort on and off the floor to reach his potential. The Heat want him to get stronger, so more commitment in the weight room is part of all this. Excelling in South Florida is all about habits and a healthy routine.

To his credit, Ware responded immediately, then addressed the public calling out by saying he took it constructively. There are other things to build on from Miami’s showing in San Francisco and Las Vegas, but the Ware episode carries the most impact in the immediate and long-term. Spoelstra is deliberate in his decisions, so we can be certain this approach was intentional.

What remains to be seen is if Ware thrives under the microscope. Clearly, Spoelstra and Miami’s front office believe this is how best to get his best. The twists and turns of Ware’s second pro season have begun.

Bam, Luka living it up in Greece