Kel’el Ware can be Miami Heat’s own Victor Wembanyama

Sunday 19th January 2025 08:09 PM

Victor Wembanyama has been lauded a rare NBA unicorn, a one-of-a-kind who could be the best player of his generation.

Everything the giant Victor Wembanyama has shown in the NBA suggests he is destined to be a great – yet against the Miami Heat on January 19, the San Antonio Spurs star was cut down to size.

This came amid the Heat committing to a new line-up in the third quarter, playing Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware together for an extended period, and reaping the rewards, limiting the Spurs.

The Heat came out on top 128-107, on a night Jimmy Butler scored just eight points, with Victor Wembanyama’s 21-10-3 performance a low score by his standards.

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

Kel'el Ware shines

Miami Heat took Kel’el Ware with the 15th overall pick of the NBA Draft, and it has been a slow burn – a pick that had some criticism. Bill Simmons labelled the Heat taking Ware a ‘mistake’.

In recent weeks Kel’el Ware has grown into his role with the team, especially at a time Jimmy Butler has been serving a suspension.

Yet even with Butler returning, the Heat’s best player against the Spurs was Kel’el Ware, who led the team on 25 points.

Ware went 25-7-2. While he was not in the starting line-up, he played a total of 34 minutes, more than Butler’s 28, and Bam Adebayo’s 25.

There was a simple reason, 20-year-old Kel’el Ware took over the game and Erik Spoelstra could not take him off the court, showing exactly why the Heat felt comfortable drafting him.

Ware can be the Heat’s Victor Wembanyama

We re-emphasize that Victor Wembanyama could be one of the greatest ever. But what he is bringing to the San Antonio Spurs, Kel’el Ware can bring to the Miami Heat.

The 7ft center went face to face with Wembanyama at the Kesaya Center, and came out on top, with his team winning, and outscoring the Frenchman.

Wembanyama looked frustrated too, hurling a pass into the crowd in frustration, and slamming down a dunk, before Ware immediately responded with one of his own at the other end.

This was just one match-up, but there were signs of an exciting future rivalry here, if the teams got the opportunity to face off more often, as the great Spurs and Heat teams did in the past.

Miami were +27 with Kel’el Ware on the court, while the rookie added two blocks.

This was a career-best equalling night for Ware, who also put up 25 against the Pacers earlier in January, and he is really beginning to acclimatize to the NBA.

While all the talk around the Heat before the game was about Butler, the partnership shown between Adebayo and Ware was really encouraging, leading to the Heat scoring 46 points in the third quarter, effectively icing the game.

It won’t be long until Miami place Ware into their starting line-up on a regular basis, whatever happens with Butler.

Ware has shown he has real potential, and if he can play as dominantly as he did against Victor Wembanyama, then the Heat have found their own version of the Spurs star.