Q: Ira, don’t you think Kel’el Ware was some kind of test for Erik Spoelstra and Bam Adebayo and they failed this test? Ware could’ve been the Heat’s main center and Bam could’ve adjusted as power forward. Ware exposed Spo’s and Bam’s lack of flexibility, depth, integrity. –Vip.
A: Or the Heat simply were able to get Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kel’el Ware was part of the cost. Not to constantly reiterate, but from the outside, only a scant portion of Kel’el’s Heat work was visible. There is so much more to the equation, from practices to shootarounds to strategy sessions. And even with all that, it’s not as if the Heat simply couldn’t wait to dump Kel’el, or else he previously would have been dealt for Kevin Durant. So it also can be viewed as building Kel’el up enough to make him a desired trade component. A player moving on in a trade for a better player should not be taken as failure by any of the involved.
Q: I’ve long criticized Erik Spoelstra for his inability to get consistent results from a two-big lineup (Chris Bosh/Hassan Whiteside, Bam Adebayo/Kel’el Ware). With Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam and Bobby Portis, his hand is now forced. If these rotations fail to get results, will Spo take the blame or will fans forget his history and fault the player who is underperforming? – Rodney, Davie.
A: If a mix with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo doesn’t work, blame will transcend not just Erik Spoelstra, but also what would turn into a miscalculation from ownership to management to the coaching staff. But how about we first wait to see how it works out, rather than forecast of failure?
Q: Any word on the Heat’s television package for Palm Beach County, including the summer-league television schedule? From what I’ve read, they have a cable package for Miami-Dade and Broward locked in. – Michael, Boca Raton.
A: The Heat are working for distribution of their regular-season games in all of the same markets as their FanDuel package. Based on those efforts, you should feel a degree of comfort that there will be a solution in Palm Beach. As for summer league, the games in Las Vegas solely will be televised by NBA national partners and ESPN and Prime, bringing streaming into the equation. As for the Heat’s summer games in San Francisco at the California Classic all that has been announced so far is games will available across NBA League Pass, regional sports networks, and local team streaming platforms.