As much as they probably should, Miami Heat fans may not be able to fall into the lure of the Nikola Jovic summer hype. Through two games in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, Jovic has looked quite good during his on-court action with Serbia.
Through the first two games of this summer cycle with Team Serbia, Jovic is averaging 27 points and three rebounds on nearly 70 percent shooting from the field. Most recently, Jovic helped lead Team Serbia to a big win over Bosnia and Herzegovina with 30 points (with seven made 3-pointers).
Jovic has been so good that he will have Heat fans, for better or worse, believing in him all over again. And after the optimism of the blockbuster Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, maybe it's not the worst idea to buy Jovic stock when it's at an all-time low.
Because if Jovic can't seemingly turn things around playing next to Giannis, there may not be hope for him moving forward in Miami. But if he can, he's absolutely a player who can end up playing a big role next to Giannis.
Is there still hope for Nikola Jovic?
The question is, can fans (and the organization) buy the Jovic summer hype without it blowing up in their faces?
Last year, after a strong summer showing for Team Serbia, Jovic was given a contract extension that is now very much viewed as quite premature, if not a flat-out mistake. However, at the time, it seemed as if the Heat was investing long-term in a player who was about to have a breakout season.
Unfortunately, that never happened for Jovic.
While he had some impressive flashes in the pre-season for the Heat, Jovic never quite found his footing. Despite battling some early-season injury issues, Jovic had completely fallen out of Erik Spoelstra's rotation.
As Jovic prepares for his fifth season in the NBA (and his first under the new contract), he'll certainly have much to prove. There's nothing he can say at this point to change the narrative. He just needs to prove the naysayers wrong with his play.
Nikola Jovic will need to prove it when it matters most
In a way, it can start with his FIBA slate, but, especially as Heat fans experienced last season, that momentum needs to be carried into the regular season.
That said, it's still going to be increasingly difficult for fans not to at least get a little more excited about Jovic's potential this year. Because if he views the Giannis era as an opportunity to start over, he certainly does have the talent to bounce back in a big way.
Slowly, but surely, and while many won't ever admit it, Jovic could quietly be playing his way back into the good graces of Heat fans. But, and understandably so, it's going to take much more than two strong games for Team Serbia to make it all right again.
But his early showing in FIBA play is a good sign for what could come this season in Miami.
Add us as a preferred source on Google