![\"Nikola](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-02-25-at-3.07.36\u202fPM-1024x760.png\")
Miami Heat wing Nikola Jovic was limited to just 46 games due to injury last season. (Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)<\/p>\nMiami Heat wing Nikola Jovic was limited to just 46 games due to injury last season. (Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
We are officially one month removed from the conclusion of the 2024-25 Miami Heat season, which was one of the worst since the turn of the century. Over the next several (week)days, we will be reviewing how each Heat player performed throughout the 2024-25 season, recapping important numbers, best game(s) and their future outlook with the team. Today, we will be reviewing young wing Nikola Jovic! <\/p>\n
Let\u2019s dive into it, shall we?!?<\/p>\n
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Brief Overview:<\/p>\n
2024-25 stats (46 games):<\/p>\n
10.7 PTS<\/p>\n
3.9 REB<\/p>\n
2.8 AST<\/p>\n
45.6 FG%<\/p>\n
37.1 3P%<\/p>\n
59.5 TS%<\/p>\n
After finishing the 2023-24 season as a full-time starter, Jovic began this season as a starter, though a nagging injury (suffered in offseason) impacted his start to the season. He was quickly relegated to the bench (in favor of Haywood Highsmith) and had an inconsistent role in the rotation up until the turn of the calendar. <\/p>\n
From Jan. 1 to Feb. 21, Jovic posted a 24-game stretch averaging 12.8 points and 4.0 assists on 45.7\/36.4\/84.6 shooting splits before fracturing his hand, causing him to miss the regular season. He played in the postseason and was the Heat\u2019s best player in Game 4, but none of what he provided was enough to salvage that mess. <\/p>\n
Numbers To Note:<\/p>\n
32.4 \u2013 Jovic has never been a pull-up jump shooter, and the numbers reflect that. Last year, the soon-to-be 22-year-old attempted just 34 pull-up jumpers, netting 11, a 32.4 percent clip. That mark is the third-worst on the Heat (min. 30 FGA), ahead of only Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Terry Rozier, two of the team\u2019s worst shooters, according to NBA.com\u2019s tracking data. I think if Jovic ever has plans of becoming \u201cPoint Jovic,\u201d then he will have to diversify his shot profile a little bit more.<\/p>\n
34 \u2013 Speaking of Point Jovic: He\u2019s still pretty far from being a legitimately reliable initiator offensively. Last season, he finished in the 34th percentile in pick-and-roll ballhandling, sporting a dismal 44.3 effective field goal percentage and just 0.79 points per possession in those situations. Jovic does need to improve as a ballhandler in traffic as well as getting north-south (without a screen) in the halfcourt when he\u2019s not attacking a closeout. He\u2019s excellent in transition, has relatively long strides and can attack off rotation. Not to mention, Jovic is a very good passer. But his reps in the pick-and-roll just aren\u2019t consistent right now. With more reps, I trust he will improve, though that will take time.<\/p>\n
17 \u2013 In his first two seasons, Jovic played at least 30 minutes eight combined times. Last year alone, despite playing the same number of games as he did in 2023-24 (more on that later), he played at least 30 minutes 17 times. That\u2019s a huge step in the right direction; it shows that he\u2019s grown into a trusted member of Erik Spoelstra\u2019s rotation. And he had awesome flashes alongside Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo and Kel\u2019el Ware. But let\u2019s hope he\u2019s fully healthy for a full season in 2025-26, which could be a huge season for his development.<\/p>\n
46 \u2013 He\u2019s never played more than 46 games, which is not ideal. He missed most of his rookie season with a back injury; he was out of the rotation for half of his sophomore season (developmental) and missed nearly half of 2024-25 with ankle, face (nose) and hand injuries. <\/p>\n
Best Game?<\/p>\n
This was a tough choice, but I think his best game of the season was on Feb. 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers\u2013the night when Jimmy Butler, his pal, got traded. Jovic notched a season-high in points (23) while tying his season-most in made field goals (8), adding five rebounds, seven assists and one block. He didn\u2019t force the issue, and did a good job leveraging his size into easy buckets against Philadelphia\u2019s smaller defenders.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next:<\/p>\n
Nikola Jovic is extension eligible this offseason. Does that mean the Heat have to extend him? No. They can wait to re-sign him next offseason as a restricted free agent, but open themselves up to the possibility of another team (with cap space) swooping in to sign him. <\/p>\n
I think Jovic is the Heat\u2019s second-best young player behind Kel\u2019el Ware, though I think the gap is closer than people think. He\u2019s only 21-years-old. However, he\u2019s only played 107 career games. Here are players in his draft class that have played more minutes than him: Caleb Houstan, Jake LaRavia, David Roddy, Jabari Walker and Malaki Branham, among 21 others.<\/p>\n
Not all of that is a fault to his own, but this upcoming season will be huge for his standing in the organization (assuming he\u2019s not traded). You can\u2019t help but love the tantalizing skillset at his size. He\u2019s an improved defender, (play) finisher and decision-maker. The Heat know what they have with Jovic \u2026 but they also don\u2019t because he\u2019s played the equivalent of one season plus an extra 25 games in three whole years. Even though he\u2019s made remarkable strides with his body and malleability on both ends, that\u2019s not enough.<\/p>\n
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