Nikola Jovic, a popular pre-season breakout candidate, is now practically unplayable for the Miami Heat. Over the last two games, Jovic has logged a combined 10 minutes and has more turnovers than points and made baskets. He's been a net-negative for the Heat for the majority of this season, and there may be no easy answers for how to handle his situation moving forward.
After the Heat's most recent loss to the Detroit Pistons, in which Jovic finished with two points and five turnovers, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra didn't waver on his faith in Jovic, but it's clear that the team needs to see more from him.
But that's where the true dilemma falls for Miami.
Nikola Jovic needs more time to develop
The Heat needs to see more consistency from Jovic, but at the same time, it's hard for them to get that if he's not given an opportunity to prove himself or find his rhythm. And, right now, especially with the depth that Miami has, it's going to be difficult for Spo to find meaningful minutes for Jovic.
He already had one DNP-CD a couple of games ago, and the only reason he was in the Heat's rotation against the Detroit Pistons Saturday night was because of an injury to Jaime Jaquez Jr. It's tough to predict where he stands in the Heat's rotation at the moment when the team is at full strength, but there's no question he has some winning over to do.
On paper, Jovic hasn't been "terrible" for Miami, but he certainly hasn't taken the big step forward in his game that most were expecting. In fact, the argument could be made that he's taken a bit of a step back this year.
Jovic is averaging just eight points and four rebounds on 40 percent shooting from the field and 29 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Perhaps most concerning, Jovic hasn't looked comfortable at any point this season in the Heat's offense. Considering that many assumed that Jovic's skill set would fit right into Spo's new system, it's even a bigger mystery why he hasn't feasted for the Heat so far this season.
Jovic has easily been one of the bigger disappointments for the Heat this season, and it's not clear why that's been the case. Add in the fact that Jovic signed a significant contract extension with the Heat just before the season started, and it's easy to see why this entire situation is an even bigger headache for the team.