On February 11, he played no seconds against Boston. Two days later, Nikola Jovic is yet in the Heat's starting five to face Milwaukee. Miami has just lost Terry Rozier to injury, and Erik Spoelstra throws his winger into the battle to compensate for the loss in attack.
One more episode in the Serbian's tumultuous second season in the NBA, which is far from easy. But Nikola Jovic hung on to prove his worth and his progress to his coach.
Already in January, the 27th choice of the 2022 Draft had joined the starters for around ten matches, before continuing the matches watched on the bench. “At the start of the season, I had a lot of ups and downs” explained Nikola Jovic to the “Locked on Heat” podcast. “ I played very well in defense in one match, the next I was catastrophic. It was logically difficult for the coaches and for myself to find rhythm. And it was up to me to find any way to be consistent every night. »
Training as a safe haven
For this, there is no secret, “ it all happens in training » assures Nikola Jovic, who started the last ten matches in which he took part. “ This is where I kept my confidence. I'm more focused in training, which is the most important thing. That's where I find my rhythm, and that's where the staff sees that I can be thrown into a match and be ready. » « He continued to work, even after that game against the Celtics » supports Erik Spoelstra. “ He returned to the room after the meeting and did exercises again with the assistants. When a player starts doing that, you start to see things change. »
For Miami, this was synonymous with a period of victories, seven in eight outings, before marking time further with three defeats in a row. If Nikola Jovic's stats are not through the roof, his contribution as a facilitator is undeniable when observing the Heat recently. “ Nikola is a great passer, who wants to distribute the ball, and when you play alongside someone like that it makes your five much more dynamic » analyzed Bam Adebayo.
Bring spacing and rhythm
A little stronger – he explains not having gained mass but having “ transformed from fat into muscle » -, more comfortable and still difficult to understand due to his technical qualities for a 2m08 player, Nikola Jovic also brings his quality in transition: + 3.4 points scored on the counter-attack when he is on the floor. Not a luxury for the 28e pace of the NBA. But for how long ?
Being in Erik Spoelstra’s favor one day and out of the rotation the next was “ difficult » conceded Nikola Jovic. The upcoming return of Tyler Herro could once again reshuffle the cards and the rotations.
It's up to Nikola Jovic to prove that he can be essential, particularly through his ability to penalize wide (42% from afar this season) to better free Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. This is partly how Caleb Martin established himself as a crucial element of the Heat during the last playoffs.
| Nikola Jovic | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | MIA | 15 | 14 | 40.6 | 22.9 | 94.7 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 5.5 |
| 2023-24 | MIA | 30 | 18 | 43.7 | 42.0 | 60.6 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 6.2 |
| Total | 45 | 16 | 42.7 | 36.2 | 73.1 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 6.0 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
