Heat fans should be excited if Nikola Jovic delivers on latest promise

When the Miami Heat took Nikola Jovic with the 27th overall pick in the 2022 draft, they knew they were getting a steal.

Jovic’s limitless potential as a young prospect was attractive to Heat scouts, and they were ready to put in the work to develop him and his skills. This past season displayed encouraging progress in that regard, as the sophomore player earned his way into coach Erik Spoelstra’s starting lineup. 

Jovic was a nice fit alongside Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler to round out their frontcourt. He had the size, length and versatility at the power forward position that Spoelstra loves. He shot 40% from 3-point range this past season, a big improvement from his rookie campaign. 

The way that he can push pace and handle the ball as a point forward unlocked more strengths within the first unit. His ball handling and playmaking skills is something that has been displayed during FIBA and Olympic runs, but Jovic is looking to make improvements in the paint rather than out on the perimeter. In a recent interview with Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, he revealed what he worked on heading into his third NBA season:

“I would say the biggest thing I was working on the most was when I’m working in the low post, when I have a smaller guy on me, I just have to punish them. That’s something I think will help our team a lot," Jovic said. "So I would say that’s the main thing for me, other than still being able to spread the floor and everything I already did.”

His spacing and transition skills are what stood out the most from Jovic’s sophomore season. However, it is a welcome sign for Heat fans to see that the 21 year-old is looking to take more advantage of his 6-foot-10 length on the court. He already provides some solid rim pressure when going downhill, but has yet to show much experience with his back to the basket. 

Jovic is a solid size to have in Miami’s power rotation, but has yet to really showcase that size by punishing smaller guys in the paint. His awareness of this notion is encouraging to see, as Heat fans are still far away from witnessing the peak of Jovic’s game. There is so much upside and progression that is still in the works with a player of his age.

Getting some playoff starter reps under his belt this past postseason should only benefit Jovic. It was clear that Spoelstra put trust into his abilities, and hopefully that experience can get carried over into the new 2024-25 season. He was able to get through his initial learning curve since coming into the NBA, but now he needs to take his opportunity from a year ago and run with it.

Jovic should be a strong candidate to continue starting in the frontcourt moving forward. Except this time with more improvements to his inside game to pair with the versatility he already possesses.