The Miami Heat made one of the surprise picks of the 2022 NBA Draft. Taking Nikola Jovic with the 27th pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat landed a guy with lottery-type ability.
At 6-11, with guard skills, and being a sneakily decent athlete to go along with his skills and size, the Miami Heat got a piece of clay that they could help to mold into something absolutely special. As stated by the guy himself, he’s played against grown men already, so you know he’s up for the challenge of it all.
With that, the Miami Heat don’t seem to plan on taking it easy with the Serbian big man. In an official introductory press conference on Monday, here is what Pat Riley had to say about the Miami Heat’s newest addition.
The Miami Heat might have gotten the steal of the entire 2022 NBA Draft. With Nikola Jovic in tow, you have to be eager to see his skills and size at work.
Pat Riley on Nikola Jovic: “From a defensive standpoint we’ll start from day 1, from a weight training standpoint, from a footwork standpoint, his stance.”
— alex toledo (@tropicalblanket) June 27, 2022
“His overall game of package and skills shows versatility.” pic.twitter.com/TTEfcOQms9
What separates Jovic from most is the exact thing that should work towards his benefit when it comes to getting up to speed on the NBA game on both sides of the ball, his immediate role with the Miami Heat, and his overall development.
As noted by Pat Riley himself on multiple occasions and including here from the above quotes, it’s about his overall game and package of skills. That is what allows you to be able to see great things in his future if Jovic is capable of putting in the work and staying disciplined.
That all starts on July 9th as the NBA Summer League of Las Vegas Tips off. For the Miami Heat, that’ll be against the team that ended their year in the Boston Celtics.
You can expect to see a lot of Jovic and other guys like Haywood Highsmith, Omer Yurtseven, and Javonte Smart, one can only assume. This should be the beginning of an ascension for Jovic if his history and skill set are indicative of what is to come.
While the NBA Summer League is one thing, don’t be shocked if this is building towards a meaningful regular-season role for the rookie. As stated, his game and physical profile are enough to see it, but the Miami Heat’s “from day one” approach might be the biggest clue.