Opportunity for Kel’el Ware rises, a front-court depth dilemma and other Heat-Hornets keys

For the second time in this young NBA season, the Miami Heat will be matching up with the Charlotte Hornets at home at the Kaseya Center.

After defeating them 144-117 on October 28th, the Heat’s rotation will be looking much different. With Bam Adebayo sidelined, and Tyler Herro still awaiting his season debut, the Heat will need scoring and defense from many other areas.

So let’s get into some keys to this match-up:

Oct 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Kel’El Ware (7) grabs a rebound against Charlotte Hornets guard Kon Knueppel (7) during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Both the role and the need for Kel’el Ware are rising with Adebayo expected to miss some time. He slots right back into that starting five spot, with an even bigger emphasis on his rebounding and defensive ability. It seems like this is a chance for him to find some rhythm and consistency to his game with the expanded role. But even with Erik Spoelstra’s usual concerns, Ware isn’t the part to worry about. It’s who plays behind him. Keshad Johnson held down the back-up five minutes a game ago after Adebayo went to the locker room against Denver. The Heat are extremely thin on bigs, which is why two-way contract Vlad Goldin made his way from Sioux Falls to Miami to be ready for tonight’s game. Expect some Nikola Jovic at the five as well, since this Hornets match-up is one they can possibly get away with going smaller.

Oct 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) and guard Lamelo Ball (1) during the third quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Off the bench against the Hornets just a week and a half ago, Jaime Jaquez Jr continued his offensive tear with 28 points in 28 minutes. Any match-up where he has multiple smaller mismatches to attack is a good one for him. Plus with the speed that both of these teams play at, it allows Jaquez to find a ton of transition opportunities in space. The other guy that always finds success against this team is Andrew Wiggins. His best game with the Heat last season consisted of a 42 point scoring outburst against Charlotte, and even added in 21 points and 3 triples in the most recent battle. Especially without Adebayo, the off the catch ability of Wiggins will be needed to keep the offense afloat for pockets without that missing mid-range token. If these two guys can find continued success, it’ll only make things easier on Norman Powell, who didn’t suit up against them in the last match-up.

Oct 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) looks on against the Charlotte Hornets during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Especially when you have the injury bug, it’s never a time to take things lightly. But when facing a Hornets team, that could potentially be without their star LaMelo Ball, it does provide the thought that it’s a walkthrough to get certain players going. The one that comes to mind is Nikola Jovic. His role has adjusted to start this season from starter to reserve, but the biggest shift has come with his offensive role in his lineups. He plays a lot of his minutes next to Jaquez, which means Jovic has been off the ball much more often than originally expected. The usual offensive bursts from him is needed to ultimately raise the ceiling of this roster. He’s a rhythm player, and more importantly, a huge confidence player. If he can have a game where he finds an offensive flow, it’ll be big for the short and long term of this team. And this is the type of game to lean into that.