Kel’el Ware receives First-Team All-Summer League honors

Former Indiana basketball center Kel’el Ware is having a terrific summer with the Miami Heat and with one game left, the NBA released their First and Second Team All-Summer League honors. Ware was selected for the First Team.

Ware is averaging 17.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and shooting 58.6 percent from the floor. He has three double-doubles in five Summer League games in Vegas. Kel’el Ware was joined by Reed Sheppard, Scottie Pitten Jr, Jordan Miller and GG Jackson on the All-Summer League First Team.

Selected 15th overall in last month’s draft, Ware has been a standout since day one with the Heat — both to his teammates and the coaching staff. After the first practice, teammates already had high praise for the 7-footer.

“Kel’el is a physical monster,” Cole Swider said. “You can throw the ball anywhere and he’s going to catch and finish it.”

Swider mentioned Dereck Lively as a player Ware reminded him of. Lively, like Ware, is an athletic and long center who is a tremendous shot blocker and rebounder. He is coming off of a rookie season averaging 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks for the Dallas Mavericks. He was critical in their path to making it to the NBA Finals.

Thus far through five Summer League Games, Ware is looking like someone who will come into the Heat rotation on day one and make an impact.

“Each game I want to go in and prove more and more,” Ware said last week. “So I feel like I am doing that.

“It’s summer league, but it’s not just about me. I am happy the whole team is winning. We are three-and-O so if we can just keep this up, keep taking it farther and father. It’s good to be around this because it gets you ready for the bigger stage, especially being around the atmosphere and just getting used to it.”

Farther is on Monday.

He and the Miami Heat play for the Summer League Championship at 8:00 pm ET against the Grizzlies.

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