It was never going to happen overnight, but over the course of this preseason, it does seem as if Nikola Jovic is doing everything he can to earn his way back in the good graces of Miami Heat fans. At the very least, he's giving Heat fans a real reason to give him another chance.
In his best game of the exhibition slate thus far, Jovic finished with 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals on 7-for-11 shooting from the field in the Heat's 125-124 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
When he was on the floor, Jovic didn't just look like a player the Heat were utilizing to eat minutes on a night when the starters were rested. He had the look of a player who was working his way back into Erik Spoelstra's favor.
And it may have worked.
Nikola Jovic's road to redemption has been a long time coming
In fact, there's an argument to be made that Jovic has been on that mission all summer long. During his time with the Serbian national team at FIBA competition, Jovic did look every bit the player who was playing with a chip on his shoulder. Like one who had something to prove.
The way last season ended for him in Miami, it was difficult to envision how Jovic was going to rebound from such a bad step back, if he even stuck around amid all the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade drama.
Because, in theory, with all the uncertainty revolving around the Heat's roster, there was at least a small chance that Jovic had played his final minutes in a Heat uniform.
But now that all of that is settled, and that Jovic is still on the roster, he has the golden opportunity for a second chance that he's likely been angling for. Whether or not he'll be able to take full advantage of it remains to be seen. The opportunity is there, which he's partly put himself in position for.
And if he continues to build off a few solid showings in the preseason, he'll find himself in line for a rebirth in the Giannis era with the Heat. The good news is that it does appear as if he's off to a fine start. Through three preseason games with the Heat, Jovic is
it does appear as if he's off to a fine start. During the three preseason games as a whole, Jovic is averaging 11.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He's also been fairly efficient, shooting 46 percent from the field overall and 45 percent from 3-point range.
If this is the Jovic the Heat is going to get this season, there's reason to believe he could be in for a big role this season. It's only preseason, but Jovic is off to an amazing start. And, slowly, Heat fans, for better or worse, may be believing in Jovic again.
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