Forty-eight minutes. This was the total minutes played by Nikola Jovic after thirty matches this season! Last night, against the Hornets, he celebrated his fifth straight start, and he has appeared in Miami's last eight matches.
“It’s really important for me because I didn’t play much last season” he reminds. “This series is undoubtedly the longest in two years. »
At 20 years old, the Serbian from Miami therefore has the confidence of his coach, but he does not let himself be intoxicated by this place in the starting five. Quite simply because he knows that he owes this playing time to the absences of Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin.
“We have one of the best players in the league with Jimmy [Butler]and one of the best replacements with Caleb [Martin] “, believes Nikola Jovic. “How can I expect them to come back and play a lot? It's not realistic. I want to remain realistic. That's how I am, and that's how I like the coach to be with me. Be honest with me about what is going to happen. I know when they come back I probably won't play or I'll play a few minutes. That does not bother me. Until they are there and I am given a chance, I have to show what I can do. And that's all “.
A very good vision of the game
In the meantime, he brings rhythm to the transition game, scale in defense and energy in general. “People forget he’s only twenty years old” emphasizes Josh Richardson. “He has a singular talent for creating gaps. He has a good vision of the game, especially for a 2m08 player. I feel like he's starting to blossom a little and he's getting more and more comfortable. »
This vision of the game allows him to find the unmarked player in transition, and the local triggers do the rest.
“It’s one of my strong points,” confirms the Serbian about his ability to initiate the transition game. “The coaches see it and let me do it. We have a lot of absences at the moment so I have to step up and that's one of the things I'm good at and that's what they want me to do. Right now, on offense, I think I'm helping others and that's why I'm here. »
