The great unknown: Two years in, what do Heat have in Kel’el Ware?

CHARLOTTE — Two years in, and still an enigma, or closer to reality, an enigma squared.

Because two years in, Kel’el Ware has been both a dynamic contributor and a lackadaisical bystander.

And two seasons in, the Miami Heat 7-footer at times has been both essential contributor in Erik Spoelstra’s rotations and low-minutes bit player.

To say the ride has been uneven since the Arkansas native was selected No. 15 by the Heat out of Indiana in the 2024 NBA draft would be understatement.

A year ago, Ware was being swatted aside in the postseason by Jarrett Allen in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first-round rampage over the Heat.

And yet, at the same time, the Heat were protective to the degree of reportedly having Ware off limits in trade discussion for Kevin Durant.

And then, this season, more of the same, with wild swings of the playing-time pendulum. Early in the season, the starts were bountiful. And then, later in the season, not only limited to a reserve role, but a limited reserve role, a 10-game stretch bookended by only five minutes in a road loss to the Houston Rockets and 11 minutes in last Thursday’s road loss to the Toronto Raptors.

And then? Consecutive starts to close out the regular season, the games leading to Tuesday night’s play-in showdown against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center.

“Kel’el’s really important to what we’re trying to do, and we all know about his upside,” Spoelstra said in the wake of Friday’s return of Ware to the starting lineup. “And he’s a key player for us.”

It is an upside that included an upgrade in 3-point shooting, with Ware’s 92 3-pointers during the regular season the most in a season by any seven-footer in team history, closing at an impressive .395 from beyond the arc, up from .315 as a rookie.

That, too, drew Spoelstra notice.

“That may be the area that he’s had the most consistent improvement,” Spoelstra said. “The defense and some of the nuances there, that’s taken some time, and still he has some work to do there. But he’s been really diligent, along with our other fives, putting in the time.

“He was a very good 18-foot shooter in college, so it was just a matter of getting used to the range. And then the decision-making, when to shoot it, context of game, whether it’s the right shot at the appropriate time, whether it’s an inside-out, he started to make some strides with that in the new year, and now he’s gaining confidence.”

And more, Spoelstra said, now a team player on the offensive end.

“He’s also done a good job of moving the ball, so I think he’s improved with his decision-making there,” Spoelstra said.

Through the ups and downs of playing time, Ware said he has gotten a better sense of where Spoelstra was coming from and when the minutes might be there.

“So I just try to go out there and try to get some type of flow and just play through the minutes that I get,” he said. “And when I’m not playing, I still work out.

“Those times, I still go shoot, like the mornings before the games. I’d go get some shots up in the morning just to try to stay fresh.”

The lesson has been to play the minutes to the maximum . . . because there might be a maximum.

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“I mean, accepting what it is,” he said of his year-two rollercoaster. “The road is going to be the road. And if the minutes are going to be short, do what I can in those minutes.”

As it is, there was enough action to finish 10th in the league in rebounding, which, along with Bam Adebayo closing eighth, gave the Heat two players in the league’s final top 10 in rebounding for the first time in the franchise’s 38 seasons.

No matter where it goes next with Ware, Adebayo said the progress and pairing has been tangible at times

“I feel like Kel’el trusts me when we’re in the game together,” Adebayo said. “So just being able to have that trust and being consistent.”

The next step, Spoelstra said, is to instill confidence Ware can make it work defensively against perimeter-based 3-point teams such as the Hornets.

“He’s definitely gotten better, but there’s also some nuances,” Spoelstra said “You have to be able to cover ground. There’s no way around it. You’re going to have to scramble. You can’t just park him in the middle of the paint and tell him to guard the rim.

“That’s just not the reality with some of these modern-day offenses. But he’s definitely made some progress.”