The Miami Heat are well aware of the talents of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. I expect Adebayo to take another leap this year, and I also expect Butler to have a bounce-back season after a challenging year and in pursuit of a new contract.
Miami has some promising young players who have the potential to showcase their improved skills and make significant strides. The team could benefit from new energy on the roster, and they have some players who have the potential to surprise people in the upcoming season.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Jamie Jaquez Jr. is going to win six man of the year. That might surprise many people, but there is a good chance that Jaquez will play 30-plus minutes a game. Jaquez had a great rookie year. He will have more responsibility in Year 2.
Jaquez had a lot on his plate last season as a rookie. Showing he can handle that much responsibility as a young player proves he can do it again this season.
If Jaquez can improve his 32% 3-point shooting mark from last year and improve as a one-on-one defender, he'll earn more minutes and play in big moments.
With Miami losing Caleb Martin to free agency, Jaquez will be relied on more. He'll have more chances to score and pad those sixth-man numbers.
Kel'el Ware
Miami fans are excited for Kel'el Ware, as they should be. Miami last had an athletic 7-footer in Hassan Whiteside and, since then, has been one of the shortest teams in the league over the past few years. Having an option like Ware is nice.
As Ware is a rookie, fans should lower their expectations. However, the idea of him and Bam Adebayo playing together is exciting. Miami plans to keep it simple for Ware early on: be a roller, lob threat, and be active around the rim.
Defensively, Ware needs to work on staying on his feet and not reacting to shot fakes. He tends to jump too quickly. If Ware can stay grounded and effectively block shots, he will be more effective on defense. He also needs to improve his rebounding and perimeter defense to prevent teams from targeting him on defense.
Ware is an excellent athlete but still needs some development. He will likely receive playing time early in the season (I expect Ware to play around 10 minutes per game), and then coach Erik Spoelstra will adjust his playing time accordingly. Miami needs more size and athleticism, so it's important to ease Ware into the game at first and then gradually increase his role as he becomes more comfortable.
Nikola Jovic
Nikola Jovic is coming off an impressive year, during which many were unsure if he could even get minutes. With injuries on the roster and Miami just needing a bolt of energy, Jovic provided that and showed that he could play in the NBA.
Jovic started at power forward for most of the year. He showed that he can hit open 3s, shooting them at 39%. Jovic is one of the few guys on the roster who grabs rebounds, pushes the ball up the floor, and looks to find open shooters or attack the rim. It was refreshing to see someone in Miami looking to move the ball.
Jovic recently said he wants to work on his post-game when smaller defenders are on him.
"I would say the thing I was working on the most was probably just when I have a mismatch in the low post," Jovic told local reporters. "When I have small guys on me, I just have to punish them, and that's something that's going to help our team a lot. So I would say that was the main thing for me other than still being able to spread the floor and everything. Being able to punish every mismatch is a really important part of the game for me, and that's what I was working on. Trying to do as much as possible to be better for the start of the season."
It's great to see that Jovic is continually improving his game. If he can incorporate a stronger post game into his playing style, it would be a significant development, potentially adding new dimensions to Miami's offense. Jovic has the potential to become Miami's future starting power forward.
I believe that Jovic should be utilized more as an offensive creator. He has a wide range of offensive skills; Jovic is a good passer and an underrated cutter. While he has shown potential as a good defender, he needs to be more consistent. I have high hopes for Jovic to showcase more of his game this year.