The Miami Heat are once again having a strong defensive campaign under coach Erik Spoelstra, and a big reason for that is their depth at the big-man position, led by Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware. The team has typically preferred to deploy the two separately, but lately, Ware has expressed his desire to play in a double–big-man lineup alongside Adebayo.
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The double-big man strategy has become a staple in the modern NBA. Last year, the Oklahoma City Thunder just won a championship by running Chet Holmgren and Isiah Hartenstein in the starting five. This season, the Houston Rockets have commonly run lineups with four players standing over 6’11”.
Ware believes he and Adebayo need to be playing next to each other as much as possible. “It makes everything better I would say,” Ware began on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“It makes it more of a safe space not just for us but the guards. If you get blown by you have either me or Bam back there. We can protect the rim. One can go for the block, one can go for the rebound,” the seven-footer added.
It seems like a sound strategy that the Heat have found with the two. Ware and Adebayo act as anchors who can protect the paint while the guards can roam the perimeter. They’re also both excellent rebounders.
Kel’el Ware on sharing the floor with Bam Adebayo:
“It makes everything better I would say. It makes it more of a safe space not just for us but the guards. If you get blown by you have either me or Bam back there. We can protect the rim. One can go for the block, one can go for… pic.twitter.com/FAhkcsbfVk
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 12, 2026
Ware seemingly hopes to play more alongside Adebayo and help the team improve. In reality, though, it comes across as a plea to be inserted into the starting lineup. After all, Ware was dominant in November and December and appeared to be one of the breakout players to watch. Since then, however, the big man has seen his minutes reduced.
Coach Spoelstra told the media that Ware had been stacking up poor performances and was punished accordingly. It reached a point where he logged as few as three minutes on January 31 against the Chicago Bulls.
An injury to Nikola Jovic, however, opened up additional playing time for Ware, and he has taken full advantage of the opportunity. He has now recorded two double-doubles in his last three games, which may be a sign that he deserves a larger role.
Furthermore, the Heat have continued to deal with injuries even after Ware was reintroduced into the rotation. As a result, he should continue to see meaningful minutes following the All-Star break. If these comments were indeed a cry for more playing time, then he is getting exactly what he wanted.
Ware entered the season with plenty of hype. He is a seven-footer who can shoot from deep, rebound, and defend. In some ways, he resembles a lighter version of Victor Wembanyama. Still, if he fails to consistently string together strong performances, his true ceiling may never be realized. These recent games are an encouraging sign, but he will need to sustain this level of play to fully regain the trust of his coach.
