Nikola Jovic is taking responsibility for his poor play to start this season and is embracing the challenge that lies ahead of him. The way Jovic has played so far this season is far from ideal, but Miami Heat fans should be happy with his mindset as he looks to climb out of this early-season hole for himself.
"I believe in myself. I don’t think it’s something that’s going to last a lot longer. I still think I’m playing good basketball for the others. I’m just playing bad basketball for myself. But, yeah, that’s it. I’m working every day to be better, and I know I will be."Nikola Jovic
Even though Jovic finds himself in dangerous territory for the Heat, having fallen practically completely out of Erik Spoelstra's rotation, there's a sliver of good news that he still has confidence in himself.
The moment that a professional player loses confidence is the moment when all is lost. For Jovic, he's clearly not there yet. And he still believes that, eventually, it's going to get better for himself.
How or when that will happen is a real question. However, at least for now, Heat fans should be encouraged despite the slow start for Jovic.
Nikola Jovic is searching for answers
Before the start of the season, many believed that Jovic was an easy breakout candidate for the Heat. There's an argument to be made that even the front office agreed, especially after they gifted him a hefty contract extension just before the start of the season.
The momentum that Jovic created for himself during the summer is clearly gone. Jovic has played a combined 11 minutes over the last three games. That includes a DNP-CD. In the Heat's blowout win over the LA Clippers on Monday night, Jovic only managed to log one minute.
That tells you all you need to know about where he stands in the Heat's rotation, that even with everything going almost perfectly for the Heat, Jovic still couldn't make a way to break back into the rotation.
And sure, it's still early in the season, and much can change in the next few weeks. In fact, especially with the way Spo operates, you'd assume there's going to be some inevitable shuffling along the rotation throughout the season. There's a chance that by the end of the year, Jovic is back in Spo's good graces and perhaps playing a big role for the team.
So not all is lost for Jovic. However, that said, there's no question that Jovic's start to the season is extremely discouraging. But at least Heat fans can find some solace in the fact that the promising forward still believes in himself, and seems motivated to right the ship after a shaky start to the year.