Inside The Heat

Video Shows Miami Heat's Nikola Jovic Making Progress With Ankle Injury

Shandel Richardson

Apr 27, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) drives to the basket against the Boston Celtics in the second half during game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) drives to the basket against the Boston Celtics in the second half during game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
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It appears Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic is healthier than anticipated.

A video surfaced on social media Sunday showing he was no longer in a walking boot. The clip, posted by NBA Serbia, featured Jovic participating in drills.

He did not travel to Paris with the Serbian national team for the Olympics but the update is good news for the Heat. There were reports he sustained a fractured ankle last month but the Heat have defined it as a bad sprain.

Jovic was supposed to team with Nikola Jokic for the Olympics but now has the opportunity to fully recover this summer so he is ready by the time training camp arrives in September. Jovic averaged 7.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in his second NBA season.

He and second-year forward Jaime Jaquez are considered the young cornerstones for the Heat after being drafted in successive years.

JAQUEZ A VALUABLE PRESENCE AT SUMMER LEAGUE

Jaquez's impact went far beyond the box score Saturday.

He had 29 points and 11 rebounds in a victory against the Boston Celtics in the summer league but it was more than just numbers.

"It's been great, just having Jaime here for two days," Heat summer league coach Dan Bisaccio said. "Don't tell Jaime I said that. Just having him in a film session. We did a nice little yoga workout. A guy who's been in their shoes, has experience but is also in the trenches with them. That matters."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Inside The Heat. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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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