Tag: Nikola Jovic

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra revealed during the preseason that rookie Nikola Jovic hadn’t graduated from high school, and the 19-year-old confirmed that still hasn’t happened.

Jovic arrived in the United States after playing the last three seasons in Serbia. He skipped his final exam to prepare for the NBA draft and still needs to take it. He was going to finish his required courses over Zoom, but recently learned he will not be able to do that.

The 27th pick will be forced to return to Europe to take his final exams in person versus over Zoom calls, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.

Nikola Jovic says he still has not graduated from high school. He said it turns out he has to attend his final exams in person in Europe.

— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) March 3, 2023

Jovic was tasked with learning a new playbook upon joining the Heat last summer, while still keeping up with his studies. He will likely have to find some time over the summer to return home and take those tests.

He has missed the past two months of action due to a lower back stress reaction. He played sparingly prior to that injury and even spent some time in the G League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce with playing time limited in Miami.

Jovic dealt with the injury throughout the year and finally needed time to address it. He has shown he can contribute this season, and the team will certainly not rush him back into action too quickly.

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Miami Heat rookie forward Nikola Jovic will be sidelined for at least four weeks due to a lower back stress reaction, the team announced on Tuesday.

Jovic has dealt with the injury throughout the season and aggravated it Saturday on assignment in the NBA G League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He recorded four points, three rebounds, two blocks and one assist in 25 minutes in a loss to the Ontario Clippers.

The 27th pick returned to Miami on Monday to undergo further examination of the injury. He didn’t appear in the first two games of their five-game West Coast road trip and last played on Dec. 28 in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Jovic has made 15 appearances with the Heat, including eight starts, averaging 5.5 points and 2.1 rebounds. He made six straight starts in November with the team down several players and averaged 9.3 points, four rebounds and 1.5 assists in that stretch.

He has also spent time previously with the Skyforce. He is averaging seven points, seven rebounds and 3.7 assists in six games and produced his best game in the G League on Dec. 12: 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Jovic has dealt with his injury for much of the season with it flaring up more recently. The team will certainly be cautious with him and not rush him back into action to risk further injury.

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Miami Heat rookie Nikola Jovic has returned to South Florida to have his back examined after dealing with recent soreness, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.

Jovic has dealt with the injury throughout the season and aggravated it Saturday on assignment in the NBA G League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He recorded four points, three rebounds, two blocks and one assist in 25 minutes in a loss to the Ontario Clippers.

The Heat are in the midst of a five-game West Coast road trip. He has not suited up with the team on the trek and last played on Dec. 28 in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Jovic has made 15 appearances with the Heat, including eight starts, averaging 5.5 points and 2.1 rebounds. He made six straight starts in November with the team down several players and averaged 9.3 points, four rebounds and 1.5 assists in that stretch.

The 27th pick also spent time previously with the Skyforce. He is averaging seven points, seven rebounds and 3.7 assists in six games. He produced his best game in the G League on Dec. 12: 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Jovic has dealt with his injury for much of the season with it flaring up more recently. The team will certainly be cautious with him and not rush him back into action to risk further injury.

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Miami Heat rookie Nikola Jovic turned in a productive performance on assignment in the NBA G League on Saturday and helped the Sioux Falls Skyforce beat the Motor City Cruise.

Jovic recorded six points, 11 rebounds, five assists and one blocked shot in the 118-95 victory at Sanford Pentagon. He finished 2-of-9 from the field, including 1-of-3 from 3-point range, in 31 minutes of work in his third game with the Skyforce.

The 27th pick struggled to shoot in the contest but remained active on boards and tied a season-high in that category. He also dropped in a 3-pointer and finished a plus-18 on the court.

SHOOTER ‼️💦 @elmore33 ⏩ @Jovic_5 // @MiamiHEAT pic.twitter.com/aAVv6M91cO

— Sioux Falls Skyforce (@SFSkyforce) December 11, 2022

The Heat announced Jovic would play with the Skyforce for two games over the weekend versus the Cruise. He hasn’t played much over the last two weeks with the Heat back at full strength, and he had the opportunity to log extended playing time in Sioux Falls.

Jovic is averaging 7.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and one steal with the Skyforce. He has hauled in at least 10 rebounds in each of his three appearances and has also been active on the defensive end of the floor in the early going.

With much of the Heat roster back from injury, Jovic could spend more time with the Skyforce in the future. The team has found great success with its G League affiliate and looks to continue that with Jovic.

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Nikola Jovic finished in double figures for the second time this season to help lead the short-handed Miami Heat on Friday against the host Washington Wizards.

Jovic produced 18 points and six rebounds in 30 minutes of work in the 107-106 overtime loss. He scored 15 points in the first half and became just the third rookie to reach that mark (Paolo Banchero, Shaedon Sharpe). He shot 4-of-10 from the field, including one 3-pointer.

The 27th pick did the majority of his work in the paint. He was successful getting to the rim and drawing contact after going 9-of-10 from the free-throw line.

Erik Spoelstra explained what he likes about Jovic afterward.

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. As soon as he got here, that was probably his No. 1 strength was his ability to get other guys better.

He is not afraid of the moment. He is comfortable out there. He is earning the respect of everybody in the locker room and he is earning his stripes right now. I was encouraged again by his minutes tonight.

Jovic started for the second straight game as the Heat had just seven players available to play. He started for the first time on Wednesday and recorded 13 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal in a loss to the Toronto Raptors.

He had logged just 24 total minutes in four games prior to earning the start on Wednesday. He was used primarily in mop-up duty during those appearances and was out of the rotation with so many players ahead of him on the roster.

Nikola Jovic fan account@MiamiHEAT | #HEATCulture pic.twitter.com/UsWKfhWEai

— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) November 19, 2022

With Bam Adebayo (knee), Jimmy Butler (knee), Tyler Herro (ankle) and others out, the Heat have been forced to rely on Jovic. He has responded well in the early going and is happy to be starting now.

“I’m just stacking those minutes and just making sure everyone is getting the ball and getting everyone in their role,” Jovic said. “I’m really happy I’m playing with this team because I’m learning a lot. I’m really confident.”

Jovic entered the season with an uncertain role with so many players ahead of him on the depth chart. He has seemingly stayed ready for his opportunity to play and has responded with two strong performances in a time of need for the Heat.

The recent performances by Jovic have likely helped him continue to see playing time once the team returns to full strength. They liked him in the draft given his prior professional experience and that is now showing on the court.

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Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra on Wednesday said he was encouraged by how rookie Nikola Jovic played in his first career start versus the Toronto Raptors.

The Heat entered the contest down several players in the frontcourt, including Bam Adebayo (knee) and Omer Yurtseven (ankle). The team opted to turn to Jovic at the center position, and the 27th pick performed well in his new role.

Jovic produced a season-high 13 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal in nearly 24 minutes of work in the 112-104 loss. He finished 4-of-8 from the field and became the youngest player in team history to start at 19 years, 160 days.

Spoelstra was encouraged by his performance.

We felt putting him in with the starters would give him the best chance to be able to complement that group, and he was terrific, particularly in that first half. He played with a lot of energy and gave us some relief baskets. He is just going to continue to get a lot better with more experience, more time and more development. I was encouraged by him stepping in there and playing as well as he did on the road.

Jovic started quickly, scoring 11 points in the first quarter. He looked ready for the opportunity to start, set good screens and made few mistakes on the court.

Jović already at 9 points, let's hear those hot takes #HEATTwitter pic.twitter.com/fS6fIDNn4b

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 17, 2022

Jovic had logged just 24 total minutes in four games prior to earning the start on Wednesday. He was used primarily in mop-up duty during those appearances and was out of the rotation with so many players ahead of him on the roster.

With his role uncertain this season, though, Jovic stayed ready for the opportunity and was eager to get into the starting lineup for the first time against the Raptors.

I was working hard the last month. I think I was just waiting for them to call my name up. I was ready for whatever. What happened with Bam happened and I needed to step up in the starting lineup and I needed to help my team win. It was a tough loss, but I hope next time I’m going to help them more.

Though the injury to Adebayo is not considered to be serious, Jovic could see a larger role should he miss any additional time. He also likely played himself into the rotation based on how he performed in his first real game of the season.

He showed he will be ready the next time his name is called.

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