1. The Heat Found Something in Jovic
Throughout the Butler and Adebayo era in Miami, one of the most persistent questions has been who the third member of the starting frontcourt should be. In year five of this build, that question was finally answered: it’s Nikola Jovic.
It has been a struggle to find players who have a positive impact on both sides of the ball, but Jovic did exactly that in his second season. He was one of four players (Butler, Adebayo, and Kevin Love being the others) on the team to post a positive EPM (estimated plus-minus) on both offense and defense, per Dunks & Threes.
Surrounding Butler and Adebayo with legitimate floor spacers is vital to the Heat’s success, as both players operate primarily in the paint. As a team, the Heat had a sub-optimal shot distribution, and Jovic will do wonders for that.
He was a marksman from 3-point range, shooting 40% on the season. Most importantly, he was willing to take a lot of 3s, with 9.1 attempts per 100 possessions. Last season, with Jovic on the court, the Heat’s 3-point frequency went up nearly 3%(79th percentile), per Cleaning the Glass.
It was never a secret that the Heat needed to surround Butler and Adebayo with shooters, but finding ones who are also positives on defense has been extremely difficult.
At 6-foot-10, Jovic showed he can hold his own in the post. Basketball Index had him in the 78th percentile in post-defense last season, and he allowed 0.58 points per possession guarding post-ups, per NBA Stats.
Jovic will be spending a lot of time on the court with Adebayo, and his ability to guard opposing centers gives the Heat some much-needed versatility. Adebayo is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA but typically has to guard opposing bigs due to the Heat’s lack of size. Putting Adebayo on opposing wings more frequently could be a game-changer for the Heat’s defense.
Last season, when Jovic shared the court with Butler and Adebayo, the Heat posted a net rating of plus-11, with both offensive and defensive ratings well above league average, per Cleaning the Glass. Jovic’s development last season made an undeniable impact, and his seamless fit alongside Butler and Adebayo gives reason for optimism. I’m eager to see how the 21-year-old continues to grow.