It feels as if Nikola Jovic is on the verge of losing himself, but Miami Heat head coach still believes that the best is yet to come for the young wing. And in his postgame press conference, Spo said that by approaching the game the right way, Jovic will be just fine. The Heat's coaching staff is going to do its best to steer Jovic in the right direction.
"He needs to get in better rhythm, he needs to put in work, he'll be just fine...the attention to detail, work ethic every single day, that has to be consistent & he'll get there, he'll get in better rhythm."Erik Spoelstra on Jovic's struggles
It's clear that Spo believes Jovic needs to truly lock in to break out of this slump that he's begun the season with. While that may be easier said than done, it doesn't appear that Spo has any interest in giving up on the talented young player just yet.
That doesn't mean Spo is going to play Jovic 20 minutes per game every night, but it likely means he isn't going to force him to ride the bench until it finally clicks.
In fact, these comments make it seem that Jovic is going to have to play his way out of his struggles. But, at least for Jovic, that's going to have to begin with his approach to the game.
Nikola Jovic needs to reinvent himself in the Heat's offense
Similar to the way he "called out" Kel'el Ware during the offseason, we see here at Spo hinting at some of those same concerns. We see phrases like "attention to detail," "work ethic," and "consistency." That is very similar verbiage that Spo used to help motivate Ware.
It may have taken some time, but it does seem as if all of that is beginning to finally click for Ware, who has been playing at a very high level over the last couple of weeks. Spo is likely taking the same approach here with Jovic.
Whether it will pay off for Jovic as successfully as it did with Ware remains to be seen. But it's clear that Spo still very much believes in Jovice. If he didn't, I can't imagine he would be making these types of comments in the public light.
Jovic has been practically unplayable for the Heat to start the season. At this point, he needs to find a way to reinvent himself in this new Heat system. Interestingly enough, many believed that Jovic had the skill set to thrive in it. For one reason or another, that hasn't been the case so far this season.
It's tough to pinpoint what exactly may be the issue for Jovic right now, but there's no question the Heat need him to snap out of it quickly.
Spo believes Jovic will eventually break out of his slump, and he's not giving up on him yet. With his skill set and potential, neither should the fan base.