MIA 126, BKN 110: Ware's 7-Block Party
Maya Chen
UX Designer · Golden State Warriors fan
Heat Stun Nets Behind Kel'el Ware's Breakout Game
Miami dominated Brooklyn 126-110 tonight, and the fantasy implications are huge. This wasn't some squeaky close one where role guys filled in for injuries, this was the Heat's depth actually showing up. Which means some waiver targets just got a lot more interesting, and some Brooklyn guys just became sell-high candidates.
Let's start with the elephant in the room: Kel'el Ware absolutely went off.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kel'el Ware | 80.0 | 65.7 | 16/11/1 | 11.4/9.5/0.6 | +4.6 |
| Michael Porter Jr. | 52.0 | 53.1 | 27/13/3 | 24.2/7.0/3.1 | +2.8 |
| Noah Clowney | 46.0 | 39.4 | 17/7/4 | 12.9/4.2/1.7 | +4.1 |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | 42.0 | 37.9 | 18/7/7 | 15.2/5.3/4.6 | +2.8 |
| Bam Adebayo | 36.0 | 37.4 | 21/7/2 | 18.7/9.8/2.8 | +2.3 |
| Tyler Herro | 37.0 | 34.3 | 25/4/5 | 21.3/4.2/3.4 | +3.7 |
| Ziaire Williams | 32.0 | 26.9 | 15/2/3 | 9.4/2.4/1.0 | +5.6 |
| Nic Claxton | 15.0 | 26.1 | 16/8/1 | 12.5/7.2/3.9 | +3.5 |
| Nolan Traore | 24.0 | 23.1 | 9/3/9 | 8.4/1.6/3.7 | +0.6 |
| Pelle Larsson | 24.0 | 22.2 | 16/1/4 | 10.4/3.3/3.4 | +5.6 |
Ware hit 65.7 Yahoo points on 31 minutes. That's elite big man production. 16 points, 11 boards, 5 blocks in basically half a game is not a fluke stat line you can ignore. The efficiency was there too, 7-9 from the field, 1-2 from three. He's been trending up all season but tonight felt different. He got 31 minutes in a blowout, which means Miami was using him for flow, not garbage time. That's the move. He's 98.7% owned already but if he's not in your league for some reason, he needs to be. And if you own him, don't even think about sitting him the next time he gets 25+ minutes.
Tyler Herro went 9-16 with 25 points and 5 assists in 31 minutes. That's +3.7 on his season average, so basically a normal solid night for him. Nothing flashy, nothing to freak out about, just efficient Heat basketball. He's locked in as a top 30 guy for the rest of the season. Hold him, don't overthink it.
Bam Adebayo put up 21/7/2 in 24 minutes. The rebounds were lower than his season average, down 2.8, but he hit 7-8 from the line which carries heavy weight in Yahoo scoring. The thing here is minutes. 24 minutes in a 16-point win is actually concerning for longevity. Heat might be managing him, which is typical, but if you're counting on Bam for consistent 32-35 minute stretches, tonight's a reminder that's not guaranteed. Still a borderline first-round asset, but keep that cap in your head.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. had an underrated night, 18/7/7 with perfect free throw shooting (6-6). He's been solid all season but tonight showed he can be a three-category contributor when the matchup is right. 37.9 Yahoo is respectable and he hit above his season average in assists. If he stays in the rotation and keeps getting 30+ minutes, he's a nice depth piece in 12-team leagues.
Now let's flip to the Nets side, because this is where it gets interesting for waiver moves.
Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 27 points on 9-24 shooting plus 7 threes. 53.1 Yahoo is solid but not jaw-dropping given the volume. He's an All-NBA caliber player (made All-NBA Third Team last year), so this is exactly what you'd expect on a given night. The issue is the Nets lost by 16. MPJ was good, but the supporting cast needed more. This isn't a sell-high situation yet. Hold him if you have him. He's been inconsistent volume-wise this season but he's still a buy-low candidate if anyone panics.
Noah Clowney put up 17/7/4 with 5 threes. That's +4.1 on points versus his season average. The threes are the story here, 5-13 from deep on a night where the Nets' offense felt rushed and frustrated. This could be a short-term spike or a sign he's getting more looks. Watch his role over the next few games. In a smaller league, he's owned at 28.0% so he's available in most places, but I wouldn't burn a high priority waiver for him based on one game. See if he strings together another solid performance first.
Nic Claxton had an odd night, 16/8/1 with limited impact otherwise. 26.1 Yahoo is decent but his season average is inflated by assist numbers (3.9 per game). Tonight he only had 1. The 16 points came on 6-15 shooting, so it was volume-dependent. He's a roller coaster big man and tonight was a reminder of that. Not a sell or a buy, just another middling performance from him.
Nolan Traore went 9/3/9 with mostly assists driving his 23.1 Yahoo score. He filled out the stat sheet but this was a limited role game (24 minutes). The Nets got blown out and that tends to compress opportunities. I wouldn't read much into this one way or another.
The Bigger Picture
Miami's bench absolutely cooked Brooklyn's bench. Pelle Larsson (16/1/4) and Kasparas Jakučionis (11/6/3) both had strong nights for the Heat. This is the kind of game where depth matters, and the Heat showed they have it.
For the Nets, the loss doesn't change much on the fantasy side individually, but collectively it's a reminder that this team is fighting for every win. Don't go overreacting to a single bad night, but also don't get too attached to Nets guys in trades. They're not a finished product.
The Heat won convincingly and did it with balance. That's a team that could make a run. From a fantasy perspective, Ware is the only must-add from tonight. Everyone else was pretty much as expected. Boring is good in fantasy sometimes. Boring is predictable. And predictable wins you leagues.