With the Miami Heat looking to get back Tyler Herro for Monday against the Dallas Mavericks, the team has been getting contributions from many players, including center Kel'el Ware. As Ware has been improving with the Heat after a slow start, his recent play has been one that garnered an interesting response from Norman Powell that the entire NBA should take note of.

In Miami's 127-117 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Ware would get the start once again and record 20 points to go along with 16 rebounds, marking his eighth straight game with double-digit rebounds, also having a +26 on the floor. Ware would be asked if he's currently playing his best basketball, but Powell would interrupt, negating that, saying there is more excellence on the way as the big man's “stock” is increasing.

“No. More to come,” Powell said, according to The Miami Herald. “A lot more potential, man. Stock rising.”

“What he said,” Ware said after. “I’m pretty sure y’all got that. So, yeah.”

If there is one person who has been mentoring Ware and shown tough love to him, it's Miami's captain Bam Adebayo, who expressed after Sunday's win how “proud” he is of the 22-year-old.

“I’m proud of him just because he’s got a lot going on,” Adebayo said, via video from Heat Central on X, formerly Twitter. “He’s got [Erik Spoelstra] yelling at him, coaching staff, teammates. Obviously, then he has his own people in his ear. Just being able to watch him grow through it. Now, I feel like he gets it.”

Heat's Erik Spoelstra on Kel'el Ware's possible “ceiling”

Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware (7) warms up before a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center.
Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
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While the expectation of Herro's season debut for the Heat is against the Mavericks, one has to wonder if Ware will be the player who gets relegated to the bench. However, Ware has shown in this recent stretch that he can impact anywhere on the floor, whether it be starting or in the second unit.

Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra would speak on how Ware's recent play has given the team “so much confidence” and how he doesn't want to “put a ceiling on him.”

“He’s being much more intentional,” Spoelstra said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect basketball. Nobody plays perfect basketball. But the intentions have to be there, attention to detail. He’s rebounding, he’s making his presence felt with his size.”

“He’s just playing with so much more force than he was a year ago at this time; he’s gaining confidence,” Spoelstra continued. “I want to be open-minded. I don’t want to put a ceiling on him.”

At any rate, the Heat are now 11-6, looking to win five straight games on Monday against the Mavericks with Herro likely back.