There's certainly plenty to nitpick about the Miami Heat after their 25-point loss in their season opener, but there may not be a player on the hot seat more than Nikola Jovic. After another underwhelming performance, especially as the Heat continue to search for answers as a whole, it's becoming more and more difficult to justify his spot in the rotation.
As much as the Heat clearly wants to make it work with Jovic, especially after his sizable contract extension just kicked in, Jovic is not making enough of an impact to warrant a spot in the rotation right now.
He had some nice moments in the preseason and with Team Serbia during the summer, but the Heat can't afford to continue to waste his spot in the rotation. Not with so much at stake as they try to find their footing in the first year with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Nikola Jovic can't be in the Heat's rotation
In the season opener specifically, Jovic finished with four points, four rebounds, and two assists. However, he went 2-for-8 from the field overall and 0-for-3 from the 3-point range. But it wasn't just the missed shots. Jovic had more than a few boneheaded possessions in which he made the wrong decisions.
Not all of them led to turnovers; he finished with two. But the fact that he was crippling the offense while also playing 24 minutes was inexcusable.
Admittedly, some of that extra run was due to garbage time at the end of the game, but there's no world in Erik Spoelstra's rotation where Jovic should be playing more minutes than Klay Thompson, just as many minutes as Pelle Larsson, and one fewer minute than Bobby Portis.
Even if the Heat were trying to give Jovic the opportunity to work his way back into the good graces where he could eventually earn a consistent spot in the rotation, 24 minutes is way too much time on the floor.
Erik Spoelstra should be open to looking elsewhere for a spark
Spoelstra deserves a little grace as he begins to find the right formula and rhythm with his new rotation, but there are some lines that need to be drawn. Jovic is just not in a place where he deserves regular minutes in the rotation.
He didn't prove all last season, and he's gotten off to a brutal start this year.
In an ideal world, Jovic would get to a place where he could be a strong contributor to the team. The honest truth is, no matter how much the coaching staff or fans want to wish it, he's not there yet.
And the more Spoelstra tries to force the issue with Jovic in the rotation, the more difficult it is going to be for the Heat to hit their stride with Giannis. Whether it's Ryan Conwell, Simone Fontecchio, or Myron Gardner, the Heat may need to look elsewhere to find a spark. Jovic just doesn't have it right now.
As much as it may pain the front office and coaching staff to admit it, Jovic should not be in the Heat's rotation. It's time for Spoelstra to end that experiment now.
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