3 biggest disappointments of Miami Heat's season to this point
By Kevin Reyes
2. Lack of Nikola Jovic minutes
The issues with Richardson wouldn't be an inherently bad thing if there wasn't a seemingly easy solution on the bench right there.
Jovic played really well as a play finisher on a deep Serbia team in the FIBA World Cup in August, averaging 10 points on 56.6 percent from the field (70.4 percent on 2's, 42.3 percent on 3's). Not necessarily something that could be translated to the NBA level, but 10 points on 70 percent inside the arc isn't too shabby, regardless of the quality of shots he was taking. The system wasn't going to be the same, but it's tough to convince me that he couldn't parlay some of that good play to some good minutes as the eighth or ninth man in the rotation.
In losing Vincent and Strus, two spots in the rotation opened up. Yet, Spoelstra opped to fill them with players that have delivered for him before in the returning Richardson and putting Robinson back in the rotation (the latter, to his credit, has payed off), to the point where Jovic has only seen the floor in 22 of Miami's 55 games. This is understandable, as coaches with his experience would rather go with veterans over young players. He knows what he's getting, knows they're up for the challenge, and has earned their trust through many years. It's nothing new for Spo, who did this same thing with Robinson and Adebayo at the start of their careers.
However, when Jovic has played as good and poised as he has, it's mind-blowing that he doesn't get more opportunities. He's shot well from 3, making over 40 percent of his attempts, competes on defense and makes the right reads. He has a plus-12 net rating, helping the Heat improve their meddling offense to the clip of a 118 offensive rating. It seems opportunistic to bring up given his recent great outing against Milwaukee on Tuesday (24 points and 7 rebounds on 8-of-13 from the field and 5-of-8 from 3 in a blowout win on the road), and although he struggled recently against Philadelphia (3 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists on 1-2 shooting in 14 minutes), there have been glimpses of promise all season long.
That should be worth a shot at consistent minutes, especially when he's played well on an international stage. If nothing else, he should get an extended leash in the second half of the season, especially if other players are going to miss games. Richardson did suffer a dislocated shoulder against Boston, and Butler is on leave, so Jovic should take advantage of these immediate opportunities.
Speaking of Butler...