The Miami Heat seemed determined to add another center to play both alongside and in relief of Bam Adebayo. Kel’el Ware was arguably the best center left on the board (though Yves Missi might have something to say about that). It’s hard to knock the pick if that was the aim.

Ware is big and mobile, which has always been an intriguing combination, but it’s especially helpful in today’s pace-and-space environment. He looks physically ready for the NBA right now, as he could walk into a rim-running, lob-crushing role and perhaps add a pinch of perimeter shooting as well.

That shooting potential is a bit mysterious, though. The gains he made this past season (42.5 percent from three) came on low volume (40 attempts in 30 games). He also shot a paltry 63.4 percent from the foul line. So, who knows who real his improvement will prove? Tack on some concerns regarding his physicality and feel for the game, and he’s far from a sure thing despite looking the part.

You never want to doubt Miami’s coaching and developmental staff, but is there enough shooting between him and Adebayo (let alone Jimmy Butler) to log major minutes together? Or did the Heat just use the first pick after the lottery on a backup big man?

Yahoo Sports: B+

Ware really made a jump in improvement from his freshman year at Oregon to his sophomore season at Indiana, showing more upside as a pick-and-roll big while putting pressure on the rim. His athleticism helps him guard the perimeter off the switch and he’s improved his ball-handling, starting the break off missed shots.

USA Today (Ayrton Ostly): B

Miami gets another athletic shot blocker and Ware could bolster one of the better three-point shooting teams. At this pick, though, the Heat could’ve gone with a scoring guard or wing to help with Jimmy Butler’s future in doubt.

Other Analysis:

The Athletic (Sam Vecenie, John Hollinger):

Sam Vecenie: 

Kel’el Ware isn’t an easy evaluation because he has all the tools you look for in a modern-day big. He’s 7-foot with an enormous wingspan that allows him to be a rim protector and tremendous finisher on the interior. It’s hard to find bigs who can genuinely space the floor, and Ware certainly has potential to do that. But, man, it’s just hard for me to get past the feel-for-the-game issues on both ends. His engagement and motor, despite improvement this year, are still worries. I buy his talent, but I worry that he ends up in the Christian Wood zone — an incredibly talented player who doesn’t consistently help NBA teams win games. I wouldn’t want Wood on my team, and I felt a lot of similar vibes watching Ware. The good news for Ware? There’s still time. He’s only 20 and he can grow beyond what his tape showed this season. Ware has all the tools to become a starting NBA center. Plus, he’s on a positive trajectory in terms of being more engaged than he was at Oregon, and people around him do genuinely like him as a person. I ended up with a late-first-round grade. His upside is that of a lottery player, but the floor is lower than I’d like to see for that kind of pick.

John Hollinger:

Ware’s occasional on-court lethargy doesn’t exactly scream #HeatCulture, but he fills a need for a backup 5 who can score … one that Miami fairly unsuccessfully attempted to fill last offseason with Thomas Bryant and Orlando Robinson. Stylistically, Ware’s ability to play on the perimeter also lets the Heat play more of a five-out style, and he could share the court with Bam Adebayo at times because of it.

ESPN (Jeremy Woo)

After being tied to guard prospects for much of the pre-draft process, Miami went a surprising direction with Ware, who had one of the widest projected ranges of outcomes in the draft. This proved to be the very top end for Ware, who always held lottery-level talent. Concerns about his motor and consistency, however, created some divergence of opinion on the likelihood he maximizes that ability. While this was an unexpected pick, the Heat are clearly investing in Ware’s development, opting to take a chance ahead of more established prospects on the board.

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