The Miami Heat whiffed out on their biggest target this offseason in Damian Lillard. For a team that made a surprising run to the NBA Finals last season, acquiring Lillard certainly would have improved the Heat’s chances at a return trip to the Finals and possibly a championship. The Heat also lost key members from last season’s team in Gabe Vincent and Max Strus to free agency. Internal development is going to be key if the Heat want to stay among the top teams in the Eastern Conference. One of those players, Nikola Jovic, is currently sidelined for the Heat with a knee injury and is day to day as per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
As per Chiang, Nikola Jovic’s knee injury is not expected to be serious for the Heat. Las season as a rookie, Jovic was sidelined and missed an extended period of time due to a back injury. Jovic was the No. 27 overall pick by the Heat in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Last season, Jovic appeared in only 15 games for the team, including eight starts in a little over 13 minutes per game. He averaged 5.5 points per game, 2.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists with splits of 40.6 percent shooting from the field, 22.9 percent shooting from the three-point line and 94.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Jovic is a talented young big man who has drawn comparisons to fellow Serbian countryman Nikola Jokic. He spent time in the G League last season for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the affiliate for the Heat.