Nikola Jovic finished with an impressive seven assists and zero turnovers in just his second preseason game of the year for the Miami Heat. It's this somewhat overlooked skill that could help the Heat solve their big playmaking problem.
If Jovic can keep this efficient level of play for the Heat, there's reason to believe that he could emerge as somewhat of an answer for the team at the point forward position. Even when their backcourt is fully healthy, there have been questions about whether they have enough playmaking on the roster.
After electing not to address that concern this past offseason, perhaps this is a role that Jovic could end up filling.
So far this preseason, Jovic has tallied nine assists and no turnovers. Even though that's probably not a sustainable assist-to-turnover ratio, it's certainly an encouraging sign for a team that has some big question marks in the backcourt.
At the very least, Jovic's playmaking prowess will help take some of the pressure off the likes of Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell in spurts. Especially if the Heat isn't to get much playmaking from the likes of Dru Smith, Pelle Larsson, or even Kasparas Jakucionis this season, having Jovic set up the offense from the point forward position will be huge.
Nikola Jovic appears ready for a bigger role
Overall, Jovic has looked like a player who is ready to take on a much bigger role for the Heat this season. Overall, this preseason, Jovic is averaging 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists on 46 percent shooting from the field. His game fits exactly the way Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra wants the team to play, with a faster pace, and that's already paying dividends.
It's just preseason, and it would be way too premature to overreact to anything that happens in early October, but Jovic has certainly been a pleasant surprise for Miami.
After signing an early contract extension with the team, the expectations have slightly risen for Jovic. Through two preseason games, for what that's worth, Jovic has certainly answered the bell.
If the Heat are going to emerge as a surprise threat in the Eastern Conference this season, you'd have to imagine Jovic is going to have to make a sizable leap in his development as a player. And through the first couple of games of preseason, we may finally be seeing Jovic put it all together as a pro.
Jovic's impressive start to preseason has to be an exciting sight to see for Heat fans.