Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has praised the progress of sophomore forward Nikola Jovic, describing it as “pretty significant.”
According to Spoelstra, Jovic, who turns 21 next month, has shown notable development over the last 12 months.
Despite being just 20 years old, Jovic has seen his role expand with the Heat, including starting playoff games, reflecting Spoelstra’s high expectations for him.
Spoelstra emphasized the team’s championship-level standards, indicating that he continues to push Jovic to meet these expectations.
“I hold him to an extremely high standard, because our standards are not going to change. Our expectations are always going to be championship-level expectations,” Spoelstra said, per Ira Winderman of South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
During the 2023-24 NBA season, Jovic started 38 games for Miami, averaging 7.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game.
In the playoffs, Jovic maintained his starting role, averaging 9.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in 25.6 minutes per game across five postseason matchups.
Spoelstra’s comments highlight the significant growth Jovic has displayed, particularly considering his limited playing time during last season’s playoff run.
“The type of progress he’s made has been pretty significant,” Spoelstra said, acknowledging Jovic’s development from not playing at all in the previous playoff run to becoming a key contributor.
