By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Miami Heat found themselves with some unexpected injuries in the latest weeks, so Nikola Jovic found more minutes in his playing time under coach Spoelstra.
After Miami’s 110-107 win against the Washington Wizards, in which the former Mega Basket player had 7 points, 1 rebound, and 1 block, the Heat‘s head coach spoke about him.
“He’s a young player, but he has some pro experience even though it’s a different league overseas. He picks up things quickly and he also has pride in what he does. He wants to do it right. He wants to be reliable for his team”, Spoelstra said.
Then, he went on to speak about his offensive abilities. “He has really good offensive instincts not only as a passer but as a screener, how to get into open spaces, how to execute different things, and then his passing and his vision. And he’s not afraid of the moment. So he’s comfortable out there, he’s earning the respect of everybody in the locker room and he’s earning his stripes right now”, he added.
Nikola Jovic is averaging 9.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while shooting 35.9% FG in 24.3 minutes per game in his first five NBA starts.
The 19-year-old rookie talked about where he’s at as a drop defender. “I think I’ve improved a lot. I’ve been working on it. It’s like our base coverage for me, so we’re working a lot on it. I just need more work, for sure. It’s hard because I can’t be that physical with other guys because I’m skinnier and I need to put some weight on. But I’m doing it as much as I can. That’s all that matters”, he said.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images