Heat youth stock watch: Youngster making unexpected impact

With Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo blossoming into stars for the Miami Heat, all eyes should pivot toward the next generation of young talent on the team. Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Pelle Larsson and Kel’el Ware are the headliners of that group. 

Jovic and Jaquez have been regular rotation pieces in the Heat’s lineups and have shown flashes over the past two seasons. Although Larsson and Ware are new to the team following this past NBA draft, they have each gotten some playing time as well. Miami selected all four of these players with their most recent draft picks, but is their development on target? 

Nikola Jovic ⬇️

At the start of preseason and for the first several games of the regular season, Jovic found himself as the starting power forward alongside Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler in the frontcourt. The former 27th overall pick provides plenty of potential as a point forward with the first unit, but shooting struggles have recently moved him to a bench role.

His minutes have been a bit inconsistent, as the fit he showcased in preseason hasn’t translated to this 2024-25 campaign yet. The concern comes with his outside shooting efficiency, as he has dropped from 40% last year to just 32.6% from 3-point range. To be a good fit next to Adebayo, there needs to be an element of floor spreading abilities. 

Unfortunately, the shooting just hasn’t been there on a regular basis yet. For now, he has had solid performances as an integral part to the bench, where his ball handling abilities can be more on display.

Jaime Jaquez Jr ⬇️

Coach Erik Spoelstra has a lot of trust in Jaquez, and it was evident of that when he received regular rotation minutes right at the start of last season. His polished offensive game and footwork has been a strength, although he hasn’t been as impactful in that regard yet. His points production has declined from 11.9 points to 8.9, along with his shooting efficiency going from nearly 49% from the field to 42.5%. 

Jaquez has also dealt with availability issues, as he missed a few games due to a stomach illness following the Heat’s Mexico City game. Now he is out with an ankle sprain that he suffered in a loss to the Indiana Pacers. It’s been shaky to say the least, as these struggles go all the way back to the hamstring injury he suffered last season.

Pelle Larsson ⬆️

Larsson has shown some positive flashes in his limited minutes this season. He has seen himself be in and out of the rotation, but seems to be ready every time his number is called. There is a 3 and D aspect to his game as a 6-foot-5 wing player, which makes for a quality player in Spoelstra’s rotation. 

It comes down to making a consistent two-way impact that can get him earning a regular role, but the potential is certainly there. Larsson can do a little bit of everything, but his defensive impact is what will help him stand out the most to keep getting playing time. There’s no doubt that he has the ability to impact the game even as a rookie. But for now, he is stuck behind the wing depth of this roster.

Kel’el Ware ⬇️

The toughest part of the Heat’s size problem is seeing Ware struggle to get any minutes. He has plenty of talent that would be beneficial to the biggest holes of this team, although his raw basketball IQ and motor have kept him on the sidelines. In the few games that Ware has gotten that playing team, there have been flashes of his own.

He brings an element of energy and length with his 7-foot presence. Unfortunately, Spoelstra has opted to go with the more patient approach in his development rather than throwing him into the fire. Something that can separate Ware from the pack is his 3-point shooting, which is a necessity to be able to earn minutes with Adebayo in lineups. 

If he can work on an outside shot that Spoelstra can trust, it could ultimately lead to his breakthrough to provide functional size.