Former IU basketball big man Kel’el Ware continues to be a controversial topic from the NBA Draft, but he has ‘legitimate All-Star potential’ nonetheless

Serious question: Is Kel’el Ware the most controversial pick that came out of the first round in this year’s NBA Draft? Since last week, the former IU basketball big man has been the topic of conversation coming out of the draft when the Miami Heat selected him at the No, 15 pick, just right outside of the lottery.

As rookies start to sign their contracts and begin a new chapter of their basketball career, it is also the time where media members, fans, analysts, and pretty much any person with a platform start to evaluate where NBA teams stands as free agency and the offseason are in full swing.

For Kel’el Ware leading up to the NBA Draft, his name always floated around from late lottery to late first round it seemed like. There were still some question marks that lingered from his early college days at Oregon but most of those question marks seemingly disappeared once he got with Mike Woodson and IU basketball.

In his lone season with the Hoosiers, he averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.5 assists per game. His play last season earned him a spot on the All-Big Ten Second Team. He went from being a player that you often wondered if he liked playing the game of basketball to one of the more dominant and consistent bigs in the Big Ten.

Even with his vast improvement his sophomore season, there are still those pesky question marks about his motor and fire for the game? Yes, there are.

“Is he a killer? Is he going to work all the time? Is he going to be the guy that’s in the gym first and leaves last?,” said college basketball insider Jeff Goodman on the Field of 68….”On one hand I like it. On the other hand, I really don’t like it.”

More: Skillset of Kel’el Ware ‘opens it up’ for Heat and front court running mate Bam Adebayo — ‘We want him to be special’

The Miami Heat have certainly had an interesting offseason to say the least. On top of drafting Ware, the Heat extended their front court star Bam Adebayo while also holding tight on their franchise player, Jimmy Butler, and opting to wait and see if they will extended him with a max contract.

When you look at positional pieces of this Miami Heat team, they really needed to retool their front court just a bit. They extended Bam Adebayo and re-signed Kevin Love, which was a good start, but that has been it thus far this offseason. That is where former IU basketball big man Kel’el Ware factors in the equation. The Heat brought in youth, length, a rim protector, and a legit big that can stretch the floor in draft Ware. In all reality, Ware can play with any front court player on the Heat next season.

Again though, was he the answer at the right time for the Miami Heat?

“If you’re the Heat, you got a window here….I think there are more pressing needs right now than another big honestly I’m not sure you’re going to be able to put on the floor with Bam Adebayo all that often. I just don’t know if Kel’el Ware is the answer for the Heat organization.”

Kel’el Ware a NBA All-Star? There is potential there for him to be

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kel’el Ware poses for photos with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the Miami Heat in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s go ahead and push the negativity of Ware off to side for now because even though the pick was head-scratching to some, there is still so much potential for the former IU basketball star.

Mike Woodson gets a ton of praise at the end of the day for what he was able to do with Kel’el Ware when he came to Bloomington and put on the IU basketball jersey. Woodson made a promise to Ware to get him back to that high-upside talent that he was coming out of high school.

Ware could not have went to honesty a better spot in order to continue his trend of being great. The Miami Heat culture is arguably the best in the NBA and when you opt to play there, you must buy into their system.

Ware bought into Mike Woodson’s system. Now, he needs to buy in the Heat’s system in Miami.

“I just think putting him in that Heat culture is the bet you wanna take at 15 in a (NBA) draft like this….I think he has like legitimate All-Star potential,” said Field of 68 Owner Rob Dauster. “I would not be shocked if he made a couple of all-star teams at some point in his career. I also would not be shocked if he is out of the NBA after his first rookie contract.”

Like stated, the first round pick of Kel’el Ware from the Miami Heat is certainly a controversial one in many people’s eyes. At the end of the day however, Ware is at a fantastic orgranzion and culture that will help him prove a lot of doubters wrong….or right.

“I think he is the definition of a high ceiling, low floor kind of a player,” Dauster added. “I think putting him in a organization that prioritizes work and defense and toughness and culture as much as the Heat do, I think that is the perfect fit for him and I love that they made that bet.”

Below is the full clip from the Field of 68.

SEE ALSO: In a transfer portal and NIL era of college basketball, Kel’el Ware chose Indiana based on ‘right fit’

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