Remember back when the Miami Heat's strong start to this NBA season was helping to paper over any pressing concerns folks had about this club? That's clearly no longer the case. The Heat have wobbled their way to six losses over their last seven outings, and their struggles on both sides have stripped Miami fans of the distractions that previously allowed them to back-burner any big problems.
Like, say, the utterly disappointing showings put forth by fourth-year forward Nikola Jovic. Yes, the same player the Heat inked to a four-year, $62.4 million extension before his nightmare season started. With an elbow contusion now added to his misery, this has quickly become a massive problem without an obvious solution.
Adding insult to literal injury, Jovic looked awful before going down.
As much as you'd love to attach Jovic's struggles to simple, unavoidable growing pains, this is his fourth go-round in the Association. Not saying he should be fully formed by this point or anything, but he's not some wide-eyed pup taking his first stroll around the yard.
He was a rotation player each of the past two seasons and a starter for stretches in both of them. Coming into this campaign, you could've argued (as my favorite sports scribe once did) that he meant as much to Miami's roster as anyone.
That's part of what ups the frustration factor here. The Heat really needed him to come through, and that would've been true even if they hadn't given him that early extension. His shooting touch was supposed to be a primary source of breathing room. His penchant for playmaking eased at least some of the concerns surrounding the lack of a high-end floor general.
What really grinds the gears, though, is that Miami's adoption of an up-tempo, free-flowing offense should've been the perfect springboard for Jovic's breakout season. He's a 6'10" ball-handler with creativity, deep shooting range, and the freedom to fire from just about anywhere. All of these open-court opportunities should've brought out his best.
Instead, he's as unproductive as ever. His 39 field-goal percentage is a new personal-worst. His 28.3 percent splash rate is easily his lowest as a rotation-regular. Even his 71.8 free-throw percentage lags way behind his career clip (78.6).
No one seems to know why this is happening, they just know that the breakout isn't. And they're reacting accordingly. Jovic, an opening-night starter, wasn't locked into a nightly rotation role before the injury.
The Heat have no reason to rethink this approach. He isn't finding floor time for his defense, so his offense has to be razor-sharp. This season, though, it's been more like a butter knife. If you're playing someone solely for their offensive value, you're surely seeking more than this: 7.2 points and 2.6 assists (against 1.8 turnovers) in 18.3 minutes.
He still seems like a big part of this franchise's future, if for no other reason than the aforementioned extension. If he can't find his way out of his spiral, though, then Miami might have to start searching for ways out from underneath this contract.