Nikola Jovic Vying For More Minutes In Coach Spo’s Miami Heat Rotation
But enough about the Raptors, as the Miami Heat did have their own quirky wrinkle they would have to deploy in Wednesday night’s defeat. And again, though in defeat, this little wrinkle may have just helped them move some things along.
In the absence of Bam Adebayo due to injury, the Miami Heat would deploy their rookie, Nikola Jovic, as their starting center. Coach Spoelstra likes to keep guys where they tend to play normally, so that would explain not deploying Dewayne Dedmon
there, but Coach Spo’s tendencies are important and not totally dead to this conversation at this point, so keep that in mind.
Back to Jovic though, he would deliver in his start, for the most part. Though 11 of his 13 points would come in the first period of the game, one of the two periods in which he got the majority of his minutes in the game, he would show you enough to really consider more time going forward—though in a reserve capacity, of course.
It wasn’t just the points themselves though, as it was also about how they came.
He hit one of his three triple attempts, he would finish through traffic and contact near the rim, he would cut, he would clear space, he would move with purpose, intent, and strategy for his team—he, basically, looked like he belonged out there.