Inside The Heat

Miami Heat Rookie Nikola Jovic Gets NBA Taste Against Zion Williamson

Jovic struggles while defending Williamson but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says he is improving

Shandel Richardson

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At 18, Miami Heat rookie Nikola Jovic is just starting to learn about NBA life. 

On Wednesday, he got his first lesson. Jovic was matched defensively against New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson. And it wasn't pretty. 

"You're not going to stop that locomotive, I guess, with one guy no matter who that guy is," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It really is depending on your team defense." 

Midway through the second quarter, Jovic tried to defend Williamson. The result was Williamson bullying him on a drive to the basket for a three-point play.

Spoelstra said they are still confident Jovic can become a solid defender. 

"It was a small sample size when he was matched up against him," Spoelstra said. "But, still, whatever matchup that he takes on, the challenge night to night is still going to be about position, speed, quick quickness, how disruptive he can be. He can be all of those things." 

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Shandel Richardson is the Miami Heat writer for Inside The Heat. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. 

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here

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