A veteran NBA assistant coach, who has been on the staff of multiple teams and also has scouted in the league, arrived home from Las Vegas Summer League last month convinced that the Heat’s personnel department nailed the 2024 draft.
“They got a steal with [Kel’El] Ware,” the scout, who is not permitted by his team to speak publicly, said by phone this week of the Heat’s first-round center out of Indiana. “Everyone questioned his motor at Oregon; nobody questioned the talent. And people are going to be disappointed they didn’t take him [before Miami selected him 15th].
“His shot blocking was off the charts in Summer League. He got up and down the floor. He’s always been considered a talented offensive player, but he did it more consistently than people expected. He really shined. This is going to give Bam [Adebayo] the ability to not be at the five [center] full time.”
Ware averaged 18.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 58.4 percent from the field in eight summer league games.
The longtime coach, who currently works in the Western Conference, said Heat second-round pick Pelle Larsson is “smart as heck. He just knows how to play. If [Heat 2023 first-round pick] Jaime Jaquez is a 10 on the know-how-to-play scale, this kid is right there with him. He’s not as physically gifted as Jaquez, but he can shoot. And he’s got a great feel for the game.”
That longtime NBA coach/scout also said he’s hopeful that the Heat can extract something from former Rockets first-round pick Josh Christopher, who was signed to a two-way contract:
He can really score. He played in some competitive summer league games and showed late in games that he could be a threat. From talking to people who have worked with him, it wasn’t like he balked at going to the G-League. He took the challenge to learn how to distribute and become a better player in the G-League when asked to do that.
“His defense can improve. He has the elements to make him a very switchable, tough defender. He doesn’t back down from a player he would have to switch on.”
What must he most improve to become an NBA rotation player? “He’s a three and D guy, so consistent range shooting would be the thing. This summer, he looked like he solved that.”