Erik Spoelstra liked what he saw from the combination of Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware
For much of the 2025-26 campaign, the Miami Heat have searched for a consistent partner to pair with their franchise cornerstone in the frontcourt. While Bam Adebayo remains a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, the team has often struggled to find a lineup that provides necessary size without sacrificing offensive flow or floor spacing. On Sunday, however, head coach Erik Spoelstra may have finally found the answer, deploying a "Twin Towers" look featuring Adebayo alongside sophomore center Kel’el Ware that dominated the Washington Wizards in a 132-101 victory.
The experiment, which has seen volatile results throughout the season, clicked perfectly against Washington. Ware, the 7-footer drafted in 2024, delivered one of the finest performances of his young career, tallying 19 points and 14 rebounds in 30 minutes. Crucially, his ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim allowed Adebayo to slide to the power forward spot. This tactical shift unleashed Adebayo as a roaming disruptor, freeing him from the sole burden of rim protection. The result was a suffocating defense and a combined plus-minus that left the Wizards scrambling.
Spoelstra, often cautious about departing from his preferred small-ball identity, offered a glowing review of the pairing’s potential moving forward.
"I liked it today," Spoelstra admitted during his postgame availability. "We want to see where we can maximize rotations as much as possible. Particularly with that second unit... Defensively, that unit was very stable and active. Offensively, we managed the spacing and pounded them on the glass."
The chemistry between the two bigs was palpable, highlighted by a sequence where Adebayo soared for a putback dunk over his own teammate—a moment that showcased the sheer athletic ceiling of the duo. After weeks of fluctuating minutes and "tough love" coaching for Ware, this performance suggests a turning point. If the Ware-Adebayo combination can replicate this success against elite competition, it provides Miami with a legitimate counter to the league's larger lineups as the postseason approaches.
The experiment, which has seen volatile results throughout the season, clicked perfectly against Washington. Ware, the 7-footer drafted in 2024, delivered one of the finest performances of his young career, tallying 19 points and 14 rebounds in 30 minutes. Crucially, his ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim allowed Adebayo to slide to the power forward spot. This tactical shift unleashed Adebayo as a roaming disruptor, freeing him from the sole burden of rim protection. The result was a suffocating defense and a combined plus-minus that left the Wizards scrambling.
Spoelstra, often cautious about departing from his preferred small-ball identity, offered a glowing review of the pairing’s potential moving forward.
"I liked it today," Spoelstra admitted during his postgame availability. "We want to see where we can maximize rotations as much as possible. Particularly with that second unit... Defensively, that unit was very stable and active. Offensively, we managed the spacing and pounded them on the glass."
The chemistry between the two bigs was palpable, highlighted by a sequence where Adebayo soared for a putback dunk over his own teammate—a moment that showcased the sheer athletic ceiling of the duo. After weeks of fluctuating minutes and "tough love" coaching for Ware, this performance suggests a turning point. If the Ware-Adebayo combination can replicate this success against elite competition, it provides Miami with a legitimate counter to the league's larger lineups as the postseason approaches.
