Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic has long been a curiosity, gifted with an enticing blend of guard skills at 6-foot-10 that allows him to fit a mold of big men that have become popular in the NBA over the last few years. The 27th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Jovic's rookie season saw him display flashes of the talent that made him a first-round selection, but he didn't have the strength, consistency, or awareness to do much more than that.
In the end, Jovic averaged 5.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game as a rookie, shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 22.9 percent from 3.
A three-day stretch with matchups against the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors saw him averaging 15.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent from 3 and 92.9 percent from the free-throw line (on 7.0 attempts per game). Furthermore, Jovic averaged 12.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.9 blocks per game on 46.7 percent from the field and 34.5 percent shooting from 3 in the NBA G League (7 games).
Consequently, Jovic averaging 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game (on 40.0 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from 3) in the 2023 NBA Summer League tracks logically. As does Jovic averaging 21.5 points per game in the California Classic before struggling in the Las Vegas Summer League with 8.5 points per game.
Heat's biggest Nikola Jovic concern after Summer League
Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic is undoubtedly a talented player.
However, he has the same issue as many young and versatile players who find themselves capable of all but everything on the court. Whether it's on offense or defense, as a shot-maker or on-ball defender, Jovic has been unable to consistently perform at a high level.
Jovic did well to add 10-15 pounds of muscle over the offseason as he appears more capable of absorbing contact on both ends of the court. As everyone has a natural body frame, asking the 20-year-old to bulk up even more might be all but impossible. Yet, in order for Jovic to be more of a consistent force on his way to and around the rim, that may be exactly what he needs to do.
At 6-foot-10, Jovic not only has a soft touch in the post but the ability to recognize the open man. Quite simply, if Jovic was able to leverage his length and strength against opponents rather than being bumped off his spots, he would stand a better chance of being efficient. Against second unit players, he might even draw the occasional double, allowing him to hit the open man for an easy shot in an offense that lacks a lot top-tier scorers.
Improvements in his footwork, awareness and decisiveness would also go a long way towards Jovic being a consistent two-way force.
Offensively, Jovic improving his footwork is another way to improve his low-post play. However, defensively, Jokic continuing to work on his footwork means making sure he moves with a sharpness laterally that allows him to make up for his lack of agility.
In terms of his awareness, Jovic's improvement in play recognition would allow him to either be right on time in his decision-making or one step ahead. Entering his second season, Jovic will certainly be better in this area than he was last season, a fact that was underscored by his play during the 2023 NBA Summer League. Subsequently, improving his awareness will also have a positive impact on his decisiveness, as the young forward becomes assured of what he wants to do, needs to do, and can do.
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