MIAMI – With the Miami Heat sporting a different look this season with their new up-tempo offense, it has benefited many players on the team, such as Jaime Jaquez Jr., out of a sophomore slump. Even Heat young star Nikola Jovic would have a career game against the Portland Trail Blazers last Saturday under the improved offense, though he admitted it wasn't always easy for him, with Erik Spoelstra giving his thoughts on his progress.
After Jovic scored a career-high 29 points to go along with nine rebounds and six assists, he kept it real with the media, saying that he “felt like everything I did was wrong” with the new offense. He would thank the coaches and players for boosting him with confidence to solidify his importance on the team, but Spoelstra would downplay the new offense to ClutchPoints, saying it's more about the “intention” with Jovic.
“It's about an intention and a maturity, professionalism all the time. You know, that's what we've always been on him about. It's not about his confidence. We pump him with confidence. But that's what it is for young players. It's not the new offense, like that's ridiculous,” Spoelstra said Wednesday.
“You know, when he plays with a force of will and an intention, and it's always started with him and an approach every day to approach a practice day and a shootaround, and a film session, like it's really important, he's made improvements with that,” Spoelstra continued. “It's still not where it needs to be, because he's young, he doesn't see that it's always important, but he's getting there. And that it's a matter of consistency. But you can see the possibilities when he has that intention and when things are important.”
Asked Erik Spoelstra about the progress Nikola Jovic has made under the new offense, with the young star admitting after the Portland game that it was a struggle at first.
Spoelstra would downplay that it’s the offense and more about the “intention.”
Full response: #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/B00L7Tyl9j
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 12, 2025
Heat's Nikola Jovic has a “laissez-faire” mentality
Jovic followed up his career game with the Heat by being a key piece to the most important play in Monday's 140-138 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He would be the in-bounder passer that threw a perfect ball for Andrew Wiggins to make the buzzer-beater dunk, with Spoelstra pointing out how gifted a passer he is, but also some of the weaknesses that come with it.
“Some of the things I'm just talking about are also his strengths,” Spoelstra said. “All of us, you know, sometimes what your greatest strengths are, those things can be your greatest weaknesses. You know, he has the size, he has the vision, he can deliver passes. He has this laissez-faire.”
“He doesn't feel pressured,” Spoelstra continued. “That's where sometimes, where it's frustrating as a head coach on a shoot around, and he's just like, going through the motions. But it's that mentality that also gives him that fearlessness, you know, to make plays in the clutch, you know, because he's not afraid of making the play. But he's got all of those gifts. You know, I always thought coming out of the draft, his best gift was his passing and his vision.”
Erik Spoelstra speaks more on Nikola Jovic and about his strengths and weaknesses, mentioning the final play the other night and his passing, saying that traits was what stood out coming out of the draft. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/vuZ2Aszrgb
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 12, 2025
At any rate. Jovic is averaging 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range, as along with Jaquez, he's been key to Miami's explosive second unit. After Wednesday's rematch against the Cavaliers, Jovic looks to impress once again as the Heat take on the Knicks on Friday in Madison Square Garden.
