Kel’el Ware looks like another mid-first-round gem for Heat

Some NBA teams dream of getting a top pick in the NBA draft. The Miami Heat thrive when they draft in the teens.

The Heat selected Indiana center Kel’el Ware with the No. 15 pick in June’s draft, and he looked like another Miami mid-round find in his Summer League debut Saturday afternoon. Ware had 17 points on just nine field goal attempts, shooting 7-of-9 and dishing three assists in Miami’s 119-114 win over the Boston Celtics.

That’s nothing new for the Heat, who thrive on developing picks from the middle of the first round. They love players from established college programs with high basketball IQs. That describes last year’s All-Rookie first-teamer Jaime Jacquez Jr. (No. 18 pick, UCLA), All-Star Bam Adebayo (No. 14 pick, Kentucky) and former Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro (No. 13 pick, Kentucky).

Speaking of Jacquez, he had a stellar game with 29 points and 11 rebounds.

It’s an encouraging sign for a Heat team who were the eighth seed last season but lost 2023 playoff hero Caleb Martin while only adding Alec Burks and Ware.

Burks may thrive on the Heat. After all, in the 2011 NBA Draft, Burks was picked at No. 12.