MIAMI -- Kel'el Ware said it first with his play and then with his words, leaving no doubt that Erik Spoelstra's messaging resonates with the second-year Miami Heat center.
A game after his coach largely downplayed similar statistics due to what Spoelstra perceived as lagging effort, Ware stepped up with moments of meaning in Wednesday night's exhibition loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
"I always take anything Spo says to me as motivation," the 7-footer said, with the Heat now idle until Sunday's exhibition against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. "I take it and I try to impact it in my game and I try to play as hard as I can.
"I was still getting my legs I guess back up under me from training camp. So that's it."
In Monday night's exhibition loss to the Bucks, Ware closed with 18 points and 13 rebounds, but with the Heat outscored by 21 when he was on the court.
Following that game and those numbers, Spoelstra said, "I'm not looking at the stat line. I think everybody is looking at the wrong thing. It's got to impact the game. I want him the next game to be a plus 20. That's what it's about."
Wednesday night against the Spurs, there then were 29 points and 12 rebounds, but more significantly, the Heat outscored the Spurs by 10 during Ware’s minutes, even as they fell to 0-3 in the preseason.
"Kel'el, he put a lot of it together," Spoelstra said. "His pick-and-roll coverages were really good, protecting the basket. He was closing out when he needed to. He rebounded the ball very well. And he was playing with force."
The force factor is one Spoelstra has been stressing with the 7-footer drafted at No. 15 in 2024 out of Indiana.
"My favorite play was when he had an opportunity to shoot a three at the top of the key and he just drove it so hard," Spoelstra said of Wednesday night's loss, with the Heat regrouping Friday at Kaseya Center for practice. "It reminded me of the play the other night where they called a travel, but I thought it was the right play. And he also made some plays where he got in the paint and sprayed it out. So that's definitely progress."
The reality is the numbers have been there with Ware this preseason, if perhaps not in the purest form that Spoelstra would prefer.
He not only recorded his second consecutive double-double of the preseason on Wednesday night, but the 29 points would have been a career high if in the regular season, where his high remains 25, done twice last season.
Through his three preseason appearances, he is averaging 19 points and 11.3 rebounds.
Not to be lost is that Ware led all NBA rookies with 15 double-doubles last season, finishing sixth in Rookie of the Year voting and named second-team All-Rookie.
Noteworthy, though, is that only one of his double-doubles came as a reserve last season. Because what hasn't changed over the first three exhibitions is the reserve role.
So far this preseason, Ware has yet to play a single second of his 66:34 alongside Bam Adebayo. Those two had formed the Heat's starting power rotation at the end of last season.
Ware and Adebayo played 541 minutes together last season over 42 games, outscoring the opposition by 4.6 points per 100 possessions.
For now, there is no issue with role or his coach, even as the challenges continue from Spoelstra.
"It never bothered me," Ware said of his coach's criticism. "Like I said, I just take it as motivation. I try to come out the next game better."