By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Jovic has seen opportunities increasing recently, starting Miami’s last six games in the NBA Regular Season, with more than 26 minutes per night spent on the court, scoring 15 points on two occasions – against the Lakers and Oklahoma.
Being way more present recently in Erik Spoelstra’s rotation, Nikola Jovic is happy about his playing time. “It’s really important for me. I haven’t played a lot this season. This stretch is probably one of the longest stretches I’ve played in these two years”, he said to the Miami Herald before touching on playmaking skills. “One of my strengths. The coaches see that and the coaches let me do it. We have a lot of guys out right now, so I need to step up. That’s one of the things I’m good at, that’s what they want me to do”, he added.
While he has been delivering on offense, he still needs to improve defensive-wise. “Right now offensively, I think I’m helping other guys and that’s what I’m here for. Defensively, I still need a lot of work. I feel like I’ve improved a lot because I’m working on it. But I still feel like I’m not there. As someone who is 6-foot-10, I think I can do a lot more. Those things are going to keep me on the court and those are the things that [Erik Spoelstra] talks about and those are important things”, he said.
So far in his second NBA season, he has been averaging 6.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game with the Miami Heat. At the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the 20-year-old contributed to the Serbian national team’s silver medal run with 10.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.
Commenting on his summer with Serbia, Miami’s head coach Erik Spoelstra praised Nikola Jovic. “It’s been well-earned and it’s been incremental progress going back to summer league. Preparing in June, did the summer league, and then went right to the World Cup. He had a great experience there, earned a starting spot, and then really worked on his player development here. He’s just made a lot of progress and his confidence is growing, as you can see. He adds a different dimension to our team in terms of skill and size, so we’ll just continue to build on that”, he commented on the Serbian talent.
Nikola Jovic tonight 🔥
15 PTS
3/5 3P
5 REB
4 AST
1 STL— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) January 11, 2024
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images