Outside of South Florida, there's not a ton of respect attached to this upcoming Miami Heat season. But whether that's understandable or not, Nikola Jovic is a player who can change all that. That's because he could be on the precipice of offering this Heat offense something that they could've only hoped for before.
As Jovic has continued to develop as an up-and-coming young star in the NBA, there's reason to believe that he could be on the verge of a truly breakout season.
Jovic emerged as one of the best players in EuroBasket this summer and showed flashes of brilliance during his time with Team Serbia. Learning alongside Nikola Jokic, Jovic could be ready to make that final - and all-important - leap in his development.
If that were to happen, it'd give Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra a luxury that he didn't think he'd have this season.
Nikola Jovic may be a second swiss army knife for Spo
On the defensive end of the floor, Spo has the luxury of a true Swiss Army Knife with Bam Adebayo. With Jovic's continued development, the hope is that he could transform into that type of weapon for Spo and the Heat offensively.
In theory, assuming Jovic continues to make the necessary strides in his game, the idea is that he would be able to play on the wing in bigger lineups or in the frontcourt when the Heat wants to play small.
Jovic has shown some small signs of that over the course of his young career, but he's yet to show his impact on a consistent level. That's kind of the final developmental leap that the Heat need to see from Jovic this season.
And if he continues to build off his momentum from the offseason, there's reason to believe that Jovic could quietly emerge as one of the most important keys for the Heat this season. If Jovic can become that versatile, consistent weapon for the Heat offensively, it could alter the outlook for the Heat this season.
Miami generally knows what it's going to get from Tyler Herro and Bam, and perhaps some of their complementary pieces. If Jovic is able to make the jump to fringe-star status, it's the type of pleasant surprise that could make the Heat a true dark-horse threat in the Eastern Conference.
Perhaps most importantly, it would give Spo and the Heat's offense another threat that they could have only previously dreamed of with this roster.