Former Indiana Hoosiers center Kel’el Ware was picked No. 15 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat, a great place to begin his career given the franchise’s culture, successful track record, roster and coaching staff.
Scan draft boards from every year and you’ll find a mix of top-10 busts, steals in the 20s and even some second-round gems. Picks like Johnny Flynn going one spot ahead of No. 7 pick Steph Curry in 2009 are just as head-scratching as three-time MVP Nikola Jokic going No. 41 overall in 2014.
“Everything that they need me to bring, whatever they need me to bring,” Ware said. “That’s all I gotta say. I’m just so grateful they picked me.” Simon described Ware as a 3-and-D center, saying it’s not easy to find 7-footers who can play on the perimeter offensively while still being a force in the paint on both ends, which made Ware very appealing.
“Yeah, moving to the four and I’m at the five, that’s a scary duo,” Ware said. “I’m gonna keep saying that all night. Scary duo.” As a five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American, Ware began his college career at Oregon. But his freshman season didn’t go as planned. Ware wasby coach Dana Altman for his lack of effort, and he finished the season averaging 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, primarily coming off the bench.
“Kel’el is the prototypical big man in today’s NBA," Woodson said in a news release on draft night. "He can block shots at the rim, hold up defensively in the pick-and-roll, and is a great lob threat on the other end of the floor. He impressed me with his ability to catch and shoot the basketball at a high level and that is what the next level is looking for. He is a quiet kid that goes about his business in a professional way.
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