Q: With what we’ve seen from Kel’el Ware so far, is he still considered off limits for a trade by the Heat? – Bob, Davie.
A: He never was. Now, there certainly was concern about trading his youth for an aging star, such as in the Kevin Durant deliberations. But when it comes to off-limits, the closest thing, and perhaps the only thing, in recent years has been Bam Adebayo, with Tyler Herro admittedly dangled in several proposals for Hall of Fame-level talent. As for Kel’el Ware, the tough love (which, at least of late, has been justified) does have the mitigating factor of devaluing a trade asset. How exactly can you in all good conscience attempt to offer a player as a centerpiece, say, of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade proposal, when you can’t trust him to play more than four minutes in a key playoff-race game in Houston? That doesn’t mean a rebuilding team might not view him as an attractive building block. But on the predictive market that is the NBA trade market, Kel’el at the moment finds a downward arrow next to his name. He has become cryptic currency.
Q: Of all the Spo-isms over the past years, “stay the course” and “playing to our identity” are so damn stale. Mediocre teams do not stay the course nor play to their identity. We need to find out over the next 10 games if a roster blow-up is in the cards or something less. So please, shelve the Erik Spoelstra slogans, as fans don’t want to hear it. – Brian, Fort Lauderdale.
A: But messaging matters, as Pat Riley has shown over his decades of leadership. And also, don’t, for a moment, think it doesn’t get far more real behind closed doors. There is the forward-facing Erik Spoelstra who rarely criticizes publicly and when he does often backtracks (as was the case earlier this season when questioning Kel’el Ware’s effort). And then there is the Erik Spoelstra who is demanding on the practice court, at video sessions and in the huddle, in moments that can get heated. As far as the roster, yes, these final 10 games could go a long way toward what comes next.
Q:When are we going to see the Heat’s “high ceiling” that Erik Spoelstra mentioned last month? – Floyd, Pembroke Pines.
A: In the play-in round, of course. Duh.