Miami Heat Draft: Nikola Jovic, Defense, Hard Work, And Athleticism

Miami Heat Draft: Guys Have Shown To Be Able To Massively Improve Defensively, So Why Can’t Jovic?

A guy with a big heart can come in and turn himself into a very good to elite defender if he wants to, just look at Gabe Vincent.

These are also all of the things alluded to by the NBA’s and Miami Heat’s Godfather, Pat Riley, when speaking about the pick after it was made. You can also look at a recent champion for the same phenomena.

Andrew Wiggins has always had the ability to be a good defender. His fortitude and desire to do so has only increased by being in Golden State though.

You also have this fact to consider. Though any guy can work hard and become a great defender, the more athletic or naturally physically gifted the player is, the easier that should be and that also increases his ceiling as far as how good of a defender he can become.

That’s the whole point here and in bringing it all back around, there you have Nikola Jovic. So, for all of the talk about his poor defense or what he won’t be for the Miami Heat on that side of the ball, you have to be fair.

Defense is teachable and able to be executed at a high level easier than offense. With his tools, the Miami Heat’s developmental system, his teammates, and a lot of hard work—Jovic can become a great defender if he wants to be.

But at worst, he won’t be a turnstile. That, you can be certain of.