Heat rookie Kel’el Ware learning the art of patience: ‘Whenever my time comes, my time comes’

Miami Heat rookie center Kel’el Ware is already learning a valuable lesson early in his NBA career. He’s learning the art of patience.

Ware, who the Heat selected with the 15th overall in this year’s draft, has not received much playing time through the first two weeks of his rookie season. His only two appearances during the first five games of the season came late in lopsided results.

“I can’t control what the coach does,” Ware, 20, said to the Miami Herald ahead of Monday night’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings at Kaseya Center. “So whenever coach Spo [Erik Spoelstra] decides to put me in, I’ll be ready.”

The fact that Ware is not in the Heat’s rotation to begin the season isn’t necessarily surprising.

But with usual Heat backup center Kevin Love missing the first five games of the season because of personal reasons, there was an opportunity for Ware to play. Instead, the Heat used veteran Thomas Bryant as its backup center while Love was out.

“I’m just going day-by-day just doing everything that I can and just being prepared,” Ware said. “So whenever my time comes, my time comes.”

Until then, Ware is making up for the lack of in-game minutes by working behind the scenes in the Heat’s player development program.

“It’s kind of the same as what I’ve always been doing,” Ware said. “Coming to practice, showing up and doing what they tell me to do.”

Ware has already impressed Heat starting center Bam Adebayo during practices with his upside as a 7-footer with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. Ware has the ability to serve as a rim protector on the defensive end and dynamic roller on the offensive end, with the potential to also hit three-pointers.

“One Hundred percent, he has potential,” Adebayo said. “You see certain stuff he does in practice, it’s like eye-popping and obviously you’ve seen him win in summer league. So you know that he’s about the right things, about the right stuff. He wants to play, he wants to compete. But right now he’s being a great teammate and cheering us on.”

Ware, who earned a spot on the All-Summer League First Team this past offseason, entered Monday with two points on 1-of-4 shooting from the field and 0-of-2 shooting on threes and three rebounds during the nine minutes that he played through the Heat’s first five games of the season.

While those stats don’t say much since Ware’s playing time has been limited up to this point, he admits that his offense is ahead of his defense at this early stage of his NBA career.

“I’m definitely ahead offensively, especially with me getting more and more comfortable with my game and what I can do,” Ware said. “But also still defensively, too, though. Just being able to protect the rim, make better reads, being able to get more deflections, more steals. I feel like I’m just getting stronger on offense and defense.”

Ware is also getting stronger physically, as he has already put on eight pounds since playing in his first NBA summer league in July. With the Heat wanting Ware to reach 240 pounds, he’s currently at 238 pounds and made clear the added weight is “all muscle.”

“He’s been getting better,” Spoelstra said of Ware. “He’s been getting better in the weight room, getting better in the practices. I’m pleased with his progress.”

The Heat’s other draft pick this year, guard Pelle Larsson, has already logged meaningful minutes this season. Larsson, who was selected by the Heat with the 44th overall pick in the second round of this year’s draft, closed the Heat’s victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday with seven points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field and 1-of-2 shooting on threes, one rebound, two assists and one steal in 14 minutes off the bench during the first extended regular-season playing time of his NBA career.

But Ware is still waiting for his opportunity. Regarding the possibility of being sent to the G League to get in-game experience this season, Ware said: “I haven’t heard anything about that.”

“We’re going to commit every single day to their improvement and they’re committed to that process, understanding the big picture,” Spoelstra said when asked about the development of Larsson and Ware. “But that big picture can also be at any time, they could be thrown in a game.”

Adebayo knows what it’s like to be in Ware’s situation.

Before becoming a three-time NBA All-Star center who has turned into a Heat cornerstone, Adebayo was a first-round pick who didn’t immediately find himself in Miami’s rotation. Adebayo played double-digit minutes in just five of the Heat’s first 19 games during his rookie season in 2017-18.

“Just be patient, man,” Adebayo said of his message to Ware. “That’s the biggest advice I can give him. The hardest thing to really believe in is patience because you don’t know when your moment is going to happen.”

INJURY REPORT

Heat second-year forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. was added to the injury report for Monday’s home game against the Kings just hours before tipoff. Jaquez was listed as questionable before being ruled out because of a stomach illness.

The Heat will also be without Love (return to competition reconditioning), Josh Christopher (G League) and Keshad Johnson (G League) against the Kings. Love is back with the team after missing the first five games of the season because of personal reasons, but he’s now working his way back into game shape.

The Kings ruled out Devin Carter (left shoulder surgery), Kevin Huerter (illness), Isaiah Crawford (G League) and Orlando Robinson (left MCL sprain) against the Heat.