Miami Heat’s Spoelstra IGNITES Turning Point For Kel’el Ware | New Beginning?

Miami Heat’s Spoelstra IGNITES Turning Point For Kel’el Ware | New Beginning?

We break down the latest from Miami’s run in Las Vegas summer league and the improved play from Khil Wear. Is he back on track? And if so, why? Plus, who else stood out? We’ll let you know on today’s episode of Locked on Heat. You are Locked on Heat, your daily Miami Heat podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. All right, welcome to Locked on Heat, your daily podcast on the Miami Heat, whether you’re tuning in on YouTube or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks so much for making Locked on Heat your first listen every day. I’m Wes Goldberg here with David Rmill. Both of us are credentialed Heat Media members who cover this team every day for daily content on the heat. Click that subscribe button on YouTube and make sure you are following us on your podcast app. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. have a great show for you today. The boys are back after a trip to Vegas. We’ve got a ton to talk about, including whether we are witnessing a new beginning for KL Wear. But first, David, I have a hot take about Las Vegas. Well, I I was going to say, you look refreshed, ready to go. Not typical of your return from Vegas. I mean, that’s usually a little bit draining for everybody, not just uh people covering Summer Lake, but normally you go to Vegas and you come back needing a vacation from your vacation. I’m glad I look refreshed. I don’t feel it. I I didn’t do any gambling on this trip, which I usually try to do something some kind of gambling of some kind. I didn’t get a chance to get around to it cuz I was uh working instead, unfortunately. But um I I just bought the uh the Whoop thing. You ever heard about this? Kyle Lowry sponsored it for a little while. He might still be like an ambassador, but it basically So, it’s a bracelet that you wear. It’s like one of those health monitoring things. Yes. And it tells you like, are you dehydrated? How’s your sleep time? Are do you are you getting enough sleep? Are you getting enough recovery? And the entire time I was in Las Vegas, this whoop had been screaming at me, you’re dehydrated, you’re not sleeping enough. Go get some rest. Uh yeah. And I was like, “Yeah, it’s cuz it’s 115 degrees out.” Yeah. And I’m sleeping 5 hours a night. I I still have yet to understand why people love going to Las Vegas. It’s just not me. I I maybe it’s just not my typical type of uh vacation spot and I always think back to when I was there a couple years ago and saw a tree spontaneously combust in the dry ass heat of the the Nevada desert. So whenever anybody says you like going to Vegas, I go yes if I want to catch fire all of a sudden as I’m walking alongside the strip. Sure. Other than that, yeah, it’s great. It’s exciting. Um yes, I love Las Vegas. I love it. I I love that it is ridiculous. I love that you’re just you drive from the airport and all of a sudden this crazy city in quotation marks just pops out of nowhere in the middle of the desert. Uh I love the flashing lights. I love I I love all the people. I love that it’s crowded. I love that it’s hot. I just I love that it’s an experience. I also love getting out of there in two days. Uh cuz I don’t want to be there very much longer than that. But here’s my hot take. Um the sphere might be the most obnoxious invention in human history. Oh, it has completely taken over Vegas in a it it it’s it’s that person that finds a way to make every story about themselves. You know what I mean? Like you’re at a party and like you’re trying to tell a story or something like, “Oh yeah, that reminds me of the time that I did this and this and this.” He the sphere is that guy at the party. It’s part of every conversation. It has overwhelmingly taken over every part of Vegas. So, I check into my hotel, which wasn’t far away from the sphere cuz it’s on the south end of the strip. I always try to stay on the south end of the strip cuz that’s closest to UNLV where they do Summer League, just a shorter Uber ride. Um, so I check into the hotel and the first thing that they ask me, “Are you here for Backstreet Boys?” And and the woman at the counter like, “Yes, clearly I am here. I I am by myself and I am the exact target audience for Backstreet Boys.” And for the record, NSync was better. And I know David that you don’t have an opinion on this, but there are people listening who are who grew up with Nync versus Backstreet Boys. I am firmly team Nync. And if you have an issue with that, you could take it up in the comments section, but I I always thought you were a 98 degrees kind of guy. Sorry. All right. No, I did have a friend that was 98 degrees, but that is that’s like the hipster pick. That’s that’s the same person who’s going to pick the Orlando Magic to win the finals going into next. I only listen to 98 degrees on vinyl. That sounds that’s you know really well you’re you’re high-end there buddy. Yeah. Back then it would have been a Walkman. Um I uh I had a Walkman. Um but we did it. Um look it up, kids. And you know what? I have a point. I know you were talking about and I have a bone to pick about this because apparently it’s not the sphere. It’s just the sphere. Yeah. Yes. Exactly. It is. Everything about it is obnoxious. Everything about it. And so I walk I walk up to the counter at the hotel and the woman goes, “Are you here for B?” I go, “Yes.” Because I thought she was gonna say basketball. Yes. And she goes, “Backstre Boys.” And I go, “Oh, no. Oh god, no. I’m not here for that. I’m here I’m here for NBA summer league.” And she goes, “Oh, what is that?” I’m like, “So, you know, Backstreet Boys is happening with the sphere that’s been here for 3 years or whatever versus summer league that’s been here for 20 years or something close to it, 15 years, whatever it is.” And you have no idea that’s happening. So, I didn’t that that rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t like that. But then she gave me some free drink coupons, so she made up for it. But there, um, so that was the first part. Then she then proceeds to tell me, “Your your room has a view of the sphere.” And I’m like, “Great. A giant nightlight to keep me up all night. Perfect. That’s exactly what I wanted.” So I go, “Oh, great. Okay.” So I walk in. Yep. The sphere is right outside my window. All night it’s just like flashing like a like a like like a there’s a UFO outside of my my w my hotel window trying to abduct me with a tractor beam. That’s what it feels like and looks like the entire night. Um and I’ I’ve found that the last few times I’ve been to Vegas, they will tell you your room, no matter where you’re staying, I’ve stayed at two or three different hotels these last few years. Your room has do you want a room overlooking the sphere or your room has a view of the sphere? It’s it’s a selling point to all these rooms. Like of course it has a first of all it’s all flat near the sphere. No matter where if you’re just looking south you’re going to see it. It’s impossible to miss. It’s this giant enormous nightlight in the middle of the desert. And it’s not that interesting. It’s not that cool. You see it, you’re like, “Okay, that’s a sphere.” Like, what am I going to do? Just going to stand near my window in Vegas and just watch the sphere? Who cares? Was it uh designed as a basketball? Because I know they’ve done that in the past during summer league, but maybe that was just It was all Backstreet Boys this time. It was all Backtory Boys this time. So, personal favorite is the giant eyeball, too. They’ve done the eyeball. It’s like that’s who doesn’t want that outside their hotel room. Totally creepy. Yeah. Yeah. No, the eye of some kind of deity staring at you like we’re watching the boy. Yeah. Exactly. So much happening. Um and then it just it does become a part of the conversation. It’s like are you going to go see Backstreet Boys? Did you go see Backstreet Boys? It’s like and last year it was I think you too. foods like did you want to go see YouTube? And NBA people are going to YouTube. NBA people are going to Backstreet Boys. It has become a thing that people do. And so you’ll try to make plans with people and you’re like, oh hey, like do you want to go grab dinner or drinks or something after summer league? Yeah. Yeah, let’s do it. But I’m going to go see Backstreet Boys first. So let’s do something when I get out. I’m like, you’re going to get out at like 11:00, dude. Like I don’t know if I’m going to be up. Like I don’t want to make plans for all 11 p.m. Who knows where I’m going to be. So I might be riding a hot streak at a craps table somewhere. So, the sphere has ruined Las Vegas. It’s the most obnoxious invention in human history. That’s my hot take. Uh, really air horn for that. The air horn boo the sphere. Boo James Dolan, right? He’s in charge of that. Um, definitely. So, we haven’t talked since Spo called out KL We uh in his press conference. Since then, Khair has scored 21 points in each of his last two games, including 21 points and 15 rebounds in their summer league win against the Celtics on Monday night. Before I get to uh Wear’s response, what again we haven’t spoken since Spo had that held that media session which Yep. was interesting. What what what was your like instant reaction to that? Uh how atypical it was of of Spo um not one to ever say anything negative about a player. It’s like, oh, he’s making adjustments or trying to figure out what we need from him. He’s working hard. Like even even players that are at least on the outside seem like they’re in a doghouse like when they don’t get much playing time or they’ve fallen out of the rotation, they’re still working hard behind the scenes. At least that’s what we always hear from spo for Spo to specifically call out a player like Wear and say, “Oh no, there’s more that he could do, especially in terms of professionalism.” I don’t know that we’ve ever heard that before. Um I’m trying to think the last time that anybody’s been called that specifically. He did it with White. Well, I mean, that was that was he’s a walking lack of professionalism, and that’s totally fine, but you don’t, right? That’s that’s not the company that you want to be keeping if you’re Cow Wear. That’s right. Especially for a guy like We who was a, you know, a high first round pick. So, uh I I think it also speaks to Spo’s vision for what Wear is capable of and the fact that he does see the the potential there and that if he isn’t realizing it, especially in a scenario like Vegas summer league where he should be and as you and I have discussed, he should be dominating, then I I I applaud Spo for saying I think this is the kind of thing that will light a fire under him and get him to be the player that we think he’s supposed to be. And so I I think it was a brilliant move by Spo in order for him to to kind of just use something a tactic that he doesn’t normally go to, which is to call out somebody via the media. So it was an interesting choice for Spo to do, but it looks like in hindsight at least that it’s the right one. So let’s talk about that a little bit more. We’re going to talk about Kar’s response to Eric Spolstra. Plus, was this a sign of Spolstra changing the way that he’s going to coach this Heat team? What does this say about the way he plans to coach this team? We’ll talk about all of that next here on Locked on Heat. Today’s episode is brought to you by Hungry Root. Let’s be honest, meal planning and grocery shopping can be overwhelming. Between busy schedules, picky eaters, and trying to eat healthy, well, it’s a lot. And that’s why I love Hungry Root. They take the stress out of planning by filling your cart for you with personalized groceries and meal options based on what you like and need. Hungry uses their smart cart technology to recommend groceries, recipes, and even supplements tailored to your preferences. Whether you’re dairy free, gluten-free, focus on gut health, or just trying to eat better, Hungry Roots got you covered. Uh I took their snack quiz uh you know, right away and Hungry Roots started recommending meals and snacks that I actually want. Love that about them. Everything to you as a vegetarian. 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I am very impressed by KL Bear’s response and I will tell you after talking with Eric Spolstra and Eric Spolstra using that media session to do something that he rarely does to your point David and call out a player in the media. We spoke with KL Weir shortly after that. He was uh made aware of what of what Eric Spolster had to say and I honestly was not very impressed with Klet Wear’s response in the moment to our questions. You know, just a few minutes after Eric Spolra gave his media session, he basically said, you know, I’m in my second year. I’m still young. I’m still learning. And I’m like, okay, whatever. That’s not the best answer. Reflecting a little bit too much there. Yeah, exactly. Um under trying to underplay it, I think. And uh to your point, like this is something that Spo rarely does. This is not a moment to underplay it. This is a moment to rise to it. Uh and and realize he is doing this for a reason. I I need to probably do something about this. And yeah, I will give Kelware all of the credit in the world. He came out against Cleveland on um Saturday and I thought he got off to a little bit of a slow start, but then played very, very well overall. 21 points. Um had a bunch of rebounds, had two or three blocks in that game. I thought his level of aggression, his level of effort, all these things, he was approaching it the way that he needed to approach it. And then on Monday, I thought his game was even better. 21 points, 15 rebounds, uh some blocks, some steals, had a really nice uh swipe down, um uh um when he was sort of defending on an island a little bit on the baseline there against a ball handler. Uh just some real good moments. made, you know, went three of three from three-point range, which is great and it’s fun, but it’s beyond even the three-point shooting stuff, cuz that’s going to come and go, you know, on a game-to-ame basis. It’s the effort. And then Eric Glass telling reporters after the game and I agree with him when he said that was the best basically wall- to-wall game that Khal Wear has played all summer league and it was and and then where again all the credit to him he was asked by Ira Winerman after uh the first game on Saturday Ira with a very good question asked hey why don’t we see that level of effort from you every day and KG pauses and says you will I’m like okay cool sound bite. Back it up. And then he comes out on Monday and has an even better game. And then he comes out again and he says, “I told you I will and I did.” And and and that’s been his response ever since. And so when I think about what led to this moment, Eric Spolstra doing the rare thing and calling out a player in the media. We know that Spo does not do this. And I do think there’s too many coaches who do this too often. But when you reserve that tool for that specific moment, right? I think that this might have been an Eric Spolstra coaching master class. He clearly wanted to get that off of his chest. When Anthony Chen from the Miami Herald asked Eric Bolstra about Kelair at that media session, Spo had this ready to go and prepared. This was the thing he wanted to talk about. This was purposeful. This was not an accident. And I think Spo for everything that he’s been telling Kel Wear behind the scenes and everything that the coaching staff has been telling Keller behind the scenes he had clearly decided I need to take this up to another level. I need to do something a little bit more dramatic here. And he did. And we have seen a big change in Kal Wear. Now two summer le games or two summer league games. What does it look like in the future? What does it look like going into the NBA? What does it look like against other grown man competition? That’s a different story. But what Eric Sper is talking about is not production necessarily. What he’s talking about is the effort and approaching a summer league games the way that you would a playoff game, the way that you would NBA game. It’s not about the context. It’s about how you handle yourself. And that’s what the message he was trying to get across. And it sounds like Hawware has taken that to heart. And if this works, this might be one of Spo’s greatest coaching moves in recent memory. I I think that’s fair. Um, again, it’s hard to look that far beyond because it is just a summer league sound bite, but I I think you made a great point there in that because is so rarely this kind of tactic if it works and it seems like it has and again it’s still too early to tell. I think it just carries more weight and that’s that’s something that a smart leader will do. It’s like, you know what, I don’t have to go to that well all the time. As you said, there are other coaches who will drag their players out. Doc Rivers, Doc Rivers will take his whole roster, park several buses outside the arena and say, “All right, guys. I’m going to throw you all under there.” Or should I say, “I’m gonna throw you all under there because that’s what Doc will do. He will throw everybody under the bus.” And that’s okay. That’s what Doc has done. And that’s fine. Spo does not. Spo talks you up. He’ll always try to build you up. He rarely goes to that well. And so when he does builds you up publicly, coaches you privately, it stings a little bit more and it’s like, okay, y he’s not messing around. And as such, and I think you brought this up too, Khalil does a great job of responding and taking it to heart. And and the response to Ira’s question that he will be much more consistent in delivering this sort of effort, I think is really great because where has had this kind of question hovering over him about his motor, his intensity, his love of the game. Can he continue to put forth this sort of effort regularly? That’s with Dognum coming into the draft. Uh we didn’t see him play much as a rookie early on and you wonder whether or not he was ready for the moment and eventually he did, but there were still times there and we saw it during the playoffs like he just was not ready. This version of where if he can continue to build off of this and develop it, it looks like he’s ready for a bigger stage and to be able to highlight his game at a higher level. So, I love his response, but I again, we have to look to Eric Spolstra finding the right button to push, which is what makes him one of the best coaches in the NBA, if not the best coach. Something I’ve been thinking about in the wake of all of this, too, is because we rarely see Eric Bolster go to these lengths. Kair was born in 2004. Sure. A lot of this roster is very young. Jimmy Butler not here. Kevin Love not here. Udonis Ham not here. Vabio is 27 years old. He’s the old head in that locker room. Yes. Uh he’s not the old he’s not literally the oldest player in the locker room, but you could in terms of experience now. It’s Norm and Terry Rosier are the older players in the locker room. It’s funny. I mean still seems like he’s a youngest player, but yeah. And Powell, too. I mean, he’s a 10-year veteran, so I that makes sense. But does Eric Spolster have to change the way he coaches? Because this is not that veteran team anymore. This is a young team and it’s a young team that I think is online right born in 2004. A lot of these guys born after 2000 they are online all the time. Kair walked out of that media session and who knows what he was looking at on his phone but was looking at his phone leaving that heat practice and he saw that stuff like these players see all of these things and I do wonder if Eric Spolstra and maybe it’s not always going to be I’m not saying that he’s going to start calling players out in the media all the time like I don’t think that’s just not Eric Spolster’s version of doing things but I do think that he’s thought very hard about how he needs to coach a younger basketball team because of course he has to think about it it’s a different kind of basketball team it’s a different generation of player when you’re coaching a young team, it’s just a little bit of a different job than the teams that he’s been coaching in the past. I don’t even know. I I could see the youth of the roster being a a focal point for him in terms of maybe I need to change my approach a little bit, but I’m thinking of it even a larger, more macro view in terms of this is a season where we cannot afford to just stay in place. We’re not good enough. We have to play better, more consistently because our only hope is to be one of the top top teams in the Eastern Conference because we’re not good enough. There’s no switch to flip, right? Playoff Jimmy. Right. Exactly. Exactly. So, because it’s not a veteran team, he needs to kind of stress a little bit. Look, I need you to be better from day one and continue to build on this throughout the course of the season. So, you wonder whether or not he’s going to be a little bit less kindler, more supportive, spo, and a little bit more harsh and just, you know what, you’re not good enough. You need to earn your spot here. You’re nothing is given to anybody here. I I would not I would be greatly surprised if we don’t hear that exact verbiage from him on media day that nobody comes into camp with anything guaranteed. Not Tyler, not Bam, no one. because this is a roster that has to prove themselves because they are so young and because they haven’t accomplished anything for as good as Bam has been throughout his career. You could say that he took a step back last season and so he needs to be able to continue to show that there’s more room for him to improve and be a better version of the player that we saw last season. So, I I I think that’s probably a precursor or at least a little bit of a sign of what’s to come in terms of how Spo handles this group in order to coach them more thoroughly and push them a little bit in a way that might make things uncomfortable. We know Spo loves using that as well. Everybody loves a little bit of chaos because from chaos emerges change and I wonder if he’s going to be using that as a tool much more easily because this is a younger group, but also because uh the demands are more for this team. They need to play better in order for them to have any chance of real postseason success. It’s a great call, right? Because that day-to-day urgency to get better and for Eric Wolster to see you getting better is the entire season. That’s the whole thing. It’s the whole season because this team hasn’t proven itself in the playoffs. There is no playoff Jimmy to like if you’re going to have any success in the playoffs, you’re going to see that building in the regular season. And so I think Eric Spolster is going to be looking at this roster and say we have to be getting better every single day. And that means higher competition. It means maybe even harder coaching than usual. It doesn’t mean that the regular season doesn’t matter anymore for us. The regular season matters more than anything for us now. And uh and he’s I I I think that’s a great call. I think you’re going to see that level of urgency in the regular season really pick up uh for this basketball team. But there’s some other summer league takeaways that we want to get to, including Pel Larson, Kashad Johnson, uh, Kasparis, Yakonis, we’ll get all of our thoughts on these players and more coming up next here on Lockdown Heat. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Summer sports are in full swing. And whether you’re all about baseball under the lights, golf on the green, or high stakes soccer action, FanDuel is the best way to make every game even more exciting. You’re already following the action. Why not make it a little bit more thrilling? With FanDuel, you can get in on the game while your friends are getting sunburned at the beach. It’s easy to use, fast to pay out. Makes even regular season games feel like mustwatch events. If you’re a South Florida baseball fan, you probably been noticing those Miami Marlins playing a little bit better of late. So, now is the time to get in on the action. And if you’re new to FanDuel, well, guess what? You customers can bet just $5. Just five bucks. And you get $150 in bonus bets if your first bet wins. So, open the FanDuel app today or go visit fanuel.com and get started. That’s fuel.com or go visit the FanDuel app today. We’ll be right back. So, let’s talk about Pella Larson because he is officially shut down for the rest of Las Vegas. Uh he played his last summer league game on Monday. He’s going to leave the Heat in Vegas and go overseas and start getting ready for Euro Basket. um I thought was Miami’s best player in summer league overall. What What have you thought about him? No, I think he was great. Uh I I think even more so than just what we’ve seen from him, interesting that he consider him so good that they’re they’re not worried about him to the same degree that they were wear like that that they never have to question Larson’s effort and maybe he’s just not as dominant player. He just doesn’t have the same physical tools that where can kind of rely on and so he does always push himself. We’ve seen that throughout his rookie season. That’s just the kind of player he was even at the collegiate level. And for them to say, you know what, you’ve done good work here. We appreciate it. You’re you’re done for the day. Uh I love that. And I think he’s been great. Like he shows just it it it feels like the right format for him to be able to highlight what he can do because everybody’s still kind of getting their footing and kind of understanding, you know, oh, what am I supposed to do? How am I playing alongside new teammates and things of that sort? Larson doesn’t need any of that. His introduction is, oh, go out there. there’s a ball. I’m going to go hunt after it like a a rabid fox or something like that. And he’s just going to be showing maximum effort all the time. Sometimes, as we’ve seen in the past, he is not harnessing it in the right way. It could lead to foul trouble, etc. But given how the the the summer league format is, he can just continue to show maximum effort all the time and have really really strong outings. And uh I think he’s looked great. So, I I think he’s I think you can’t deny him a part of the rotation at this point given what we’ve seen from him. He’s just going to be that high-end guy. And my concern is that when you look at what he brings and you look at guys like Haimehake, Niko Yovic, what is it that Larson does so well that is going to allow him to say, “Oh, this is how I can make an imprint on the game.” With him, we know that he’s going to bring effort. Sometimes that effort is good effort. Sometimes it’s not as good effort. other times he certainly is a much more willing and good rebounder when he’s actively chasing the ball. The three-point shots hit or miss. So, you just don’t want to write him in pen as far as you’ve got a spot or shirt of the rotation because I just still don’t see what that elite skill is going to be from Pella. That’s the thing, right? He on on Monday against Boston, he went seven of 14 from the field for for 24 points. and when he’s got that two-point game really going because like the three-point shot just isn’t there for him yet and it’s going to need to get there if he’s going to get real minutes at the NBA level unfortunately. But that’s just the way the NBA works these days because I do think that he does a lot of other things well he fights really hard. The thing I like about him overall um you’re seeing Miami use him a little bit more on the ball in summer league right now. He had six assists in that game. I don’t know that that’s his future in the NBA, but this is the time to kind of get those reps in the summer league where okay, like get on the ball and like we eventually want to make you a cog of the offense as opposed to just a guy who’s yes, you know, cutting off ball all the time and and trying to do those things all the time. We want you to, you know, we’re going to add a little bit more to your plate. And that’s probably where his role is in the future. More of an offball guy who can run a little bit of offense for you as a third kind of type of option. um and attack attack a a close out and things like that and get other guys involved. But with him, he’s sort he’s sort of the antithesis of of the the guy that Eric Sper always talks about. The guy that what’s say make me watch you then make me play you, right? Len makes you watch him. He is so noticeable out there in these summer league games because his effort is just so off the charts and he’s always on the floor. He’s always falling over. He’s always diving for loose balls. Um he’s he’s Dwayne Wade like in the way that he is just always on the ground. But yeah, uh I they respect it. But in to your point, okay, cool. Now what? Right. It’s you try really hard, but now what? That said, I if if the if the season started tomorrow, I do think that he’s pencled in into Eric Bolster’s rotation. I don’t think he’s a guy that’s we’ll see if we can find time for him. I think that he’s a guy who’s a planned part of the rotation, but you know, it’s one thing to do it now. What does it look like in training camp when he’s competing with guys like Haime Hakas and Nikico Yoic first round picks who are also going to be fighting for rotation minutes. So, we’ll see what happens there. Kashad Johnson, the other guy. So, I’m sorry. No, cuz that’s a good point though because I think again given that that he’s going to have that maximum effort, it’s it’s the adage of iron sharpens iron because I feel like he’s going to bring out that in everybody else. And now that he’s much more comfortable and knows that he’s fighting for something tangible, actual playing time as a second round pick, it’s kind of like, oh, okay, well, you can give a lot of effort. That doesn’t mean you’re necessarily going to sniff the floor. Now, I think that he’s a little bit more established. I’d like to see guys like Hakez and Yovic respond. Like, how are they going to deal with this guy who’s just a flying maniac out there? So, I I’m curious to see how they uh handle that and if they’re pushed by Larson, understanding that something is at stake because they’re both in in a crucial respected point in their careers where they have to be able to prove that they can be consistent members of the rotation and if not, a guy like Larson is more than willing to take on those minutes. Uh Kashad Johnson, 22 points on eight of 10 shooting, two of four from three-point range. I love the effort with him, too. He’s the athleticism jumps off the screen. another one of those guys where the production all isn’t always the story with him, but if he’s going to play at the NBA level, it’s going to have to be at some point, right? It’s gonna have to be at least part of the story. But, uh, his best game in summer league on Monday night, did you have any thoughts on him? No, looks good. Um, again, he seems like he’s probably too far down on the roster right now to carve out significant playing time, but he continues to make a strong case as to why he’s on the roster in the first place. And so I know a lot of people I even I think you mentioned it like why why sign him to an actual contract um given that you’re not going to be able to play him much but he continues to work and I think we’ve we’ve heard from the coaching staff how much they guy like that that does all the work behind the scenes and unfortunately just hasn’t been able to get much playing time. But you know what that could be up to him and we’ll we’ll see. I expect him to have a strong camp too. Um, we’re going to save our thoughts on Kasparus Yakonis because he got the day off on Monday. So, we’ll have another chance to talk with him on in a future episode. Talk about him in a future episode. Uh, another quick note, Vlad Golden played uh 15 minutes on Monday night and there was a portion of those minutes where he was on the court with Kell Wear and Wear was more of a stretch four type and Wear responded by hitting a three-pointer and that was kind of a cool look. I don’t know how much we could expect that going forward, but we do know that Wear and Bam will play together whether it’s part of the starting lineup or just a part of the rotation. So seeing a little bit of a different version of where right like why couldn’t Bam be the five in that alignment depending on the matchup. We started to see Spo tinker with that uh towards the end of last season anyway. Um so I just thought that that was an interesting note. And then the two way the two guys who I am looking at in terms of possibly earning the final two-way spot. Javvante Cook, Eric Stevenson. Both of them had really nice games. Stevenson had that big shot at the end of that Celtics game. Um, Javvante Cook responded with a big a big outing, 11 points, uh, two rebounds and two assists. Uh, I I think that the, if I were going to identify two guys who are probably on the inside track competing for that final two-way spot, it’s Cook, who’s more of that rangy type of athlete that Jamal Kane, Caleb Martin, the kind of guy that the Heat have typically used these two-way spots on, Kashad Johnson, right? He’s more of that kind of arc type where Eric Stevenson is maybe similar more similar to a Max Drew Duncan Robinson type. I don’t he’s not as tall as those guys, but his shot is advanced right now. He’s really confident in that pullup three. He obviously hit the big shot down the stretch. Uh he’s got a real good swagger and attitude about him, a confidence about him that I think they this coaching staff really likes. So, uh I’m looking at those two guys. Gabe Vincent like almost Yep. Good call. I I think um yeah, as an undersized player, you’ve got to be able to show the capacity for the to to be willing to step up those moments. He hit a big shot against the Celtics down the stretch, too. So, I I think that bodess well for him being able to show uh that he deserves and give it to him. And that’s typically when you stand out like that. And if you show it consistently enough, the the heat front office will reward you by adding you to a two-way. Thanks for making Lockdown Heat your first listen today. For your second listen, find the Locked on NBA podcast where there is no offseason. Doug, Matt, and Hayes keep you up to date on contract negotiations, rumors, and everything you need to be the most informed NBA fan. Find Lockdown NBA on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

Kel’el Ware responds to Erik Spoelstra’s challenge with a dominant two-game stretch.

Wes Goldberg and David Ramil break down the MIAMI HEAT’s first weekend at Las Vegas Summer League, highlighting Kel’el Ware’s approach after coach Erik Spoelstra’s rare public criticism. The discussion covers Ware’s 21-point performance, Spoelstra’s evolving coaching tactics, and how the HEAT’s young core is reshaping their NBA future. Key topics include standout performances from Pelle Larsson and Kashad Johnson, potential two-way contract candidates, and the impact on upcoming roster decisions.

0:00 Intro
5:05 Spoelstra’s rare public criticism of Kel’el Ware
10:22 Ware’s impressive response in Summer League
18:07 Coaching a younger Heat roster differently
23:27 Pelle Larsson and Keshad Johnson

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