Spoelstra questions Ware's impact after preseason double-double

Kelel Ware faced public criticism from Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra after a preseason loss on Monday, despite posting a double-double. Ware, the 7-foot center entering his second NBA season, scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in Miami’s 103-93 exhibition loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Kaseya Center, but the team was outscored by 21 points during his minutes on the floor.

After the game, Spoelstra declined to praise Ware’s stat line, saying he was focused on impact rather than raw numbers. "I’m not looking at the stat line," Spoelstra said. "It’s got to impact the game. I want him the next game to be a plus 20." The coach pointed to inconsistent stretches and so-called deflating plays as areas Ware must eliminate to become a more reliable contributor.

Ware acknowledged the critique and framed it as motivation. "It’s all about getting to a point where I’m affecting winning basketball," he said, adding that he wants to "impact the game in a positive way." The exchange follows similar comments from Spoelstra during summer league when he urged Ware to improve his professionalism, consistency, and daily approach.

The preseason context complicates the roster picture for Miami....