Has Miami Heat Forward Lost His Spot In The Rotation?

Bryan Townes | 2 Hours Ago

Nov 18, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) drives to the basket past Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (20) during the second quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The depth on this Miami Heat roster has led to many tough decisions for coach Erik Spoelstra to make on a game-to-game basis.

Unfortunately, one of those decisions has often left Nikola Jovic on the bench. He is averaging 7.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 44.8 percent shooting and 31.8 percent from three-point range.

Many expected Jovic to leap in production coming into the year. He must have at least earned Spoelstra's trust in training camp because Jovic was originally in the starting lineup. He struggled because he was not comfortable being a role player confined to specific spots on the court. The main reason is his struggles from three-point range, which are the only shots he got as a starter.

Spoelstra later made a different decision in the starting unit in Haywood Highsmith because he was much more comfortable being a role player without the ball than Jovic. Highsmith supplemented the starters by shooting 40.6 percent from three-point range. Jovic played much better off the bench because he had more opportunities with the ball in his hands, where his skill set was utilized the best. Now Pelle Larsson has taken his bench role. 

Another reason for Jovic’s lack of consistent playing time is his defense. Larsson and Highsmith are just much better and more physical defenders than Jovic. The fact they both are shooting better from three is also not a good sign.

The positive is the Heat being 7-8, Spoelstra has said nothing is set in stone. 

Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook.