NBA Draft Profile- Kel'el Ware

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Today’s Spotlight - Indiana, Power Forward/Center, Kel’el Ware

Name- Kel’el Ware

Pos- Power Forward/ Center

Team- IndianaIndiana

HT/WT- 7’0” 229 lbs

Born- 4/20/2004

Home – North Little Rock, Arkansas

Kel'el Ware grew up in North Little Rock, Arkansas and attended North Little Rock High School. As a junior, he averaged 16.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks per game. However, it was Ware's senior year that recruiters and teams took notice. He finished his senior campaign averaging 20.3 points, 12 rebounds, and 5.7 blocks per game. During his senior season, he also played in the Jordan Brand Classic, Nike Hoop Summit, and the 2022 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. His strong play made him a 5-star recruit and was considered one of the top overall players in his class by recruiting services. With tons of offers to play basketball, Ware finally settled and committed to play hoops at Oregon.

Ware started his freshman year at Oregon as the team's #2 center. After averaging 26 minutes played, 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks over the first nine games of the season, Ware saw a steep decline in playing time due to what Oregon's coaching staff tabbed as an inconsistent work ethic. He finished the season averaging 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. At the end of the season, Ware entered the NCAA transfer portal, where he ultimately transferred to Indiana.

Kel'el Ware had a huge bounce back year for the Hoosiers in 2023. He averaged 15.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. His performance in 2023 put him back on the map of NBA teams. He declared for the NBA after the season.

Kel'el Ware moves very fluidly for a 7-footer and his footwork is impressive on the court. His athleticism and size makes him a quality rim protector and he is good at avoiding fouls, which is unusual for a player at his position. Ware has a smooth stroke when he shoots and has the ability to hit a 3-pointer from time to time. He is effective in the pick and roll and has enough passing ability to keep defenses honest. Ware has an old school post-up game and his versatility in the offensive end will make opponents centers have to defend all over the court.

Ware has been labeled soft in the past and does not always play with maximum effort. At times, he is a player his team cannot count on. He will lack physicality one game, and then play an aggressive game later in the week. He needs to dispel this notion that he is not a team player.

Strengths

3-point range
Footwork
Mechanics on Shot
Rim Protector

Weaknesses

Soft
Work Ethic
Inconsistency

Kel'el Ware's game reminds Draft Nation of Jarrett Allen. Allen was the 22nd player taken in the 2017 NBA Draft and plays a good post up game on offense and is a rim protector on defense. Allen plays with more consistency than Ware, however, Ware can shoot from the perimeter and behind the arc. Look for Ware to go right around the #22 spot that Allen did.

Final Analysis

Kel'el Ware has the size and skill to be a quality NBA center. The question is, can he be reliable enough for a team to take a chance on him? He did play harder at Indiana but still showed a lot of inconsistencies in his game. His shooting ability and defensive prowess should have teams interested in the first round. Draft Nation thinks he will be drafted in the 18-30 range in round one.

Draft Nation’s Draft Prediction - 1st Round pick