Surprise last night, during the interval between the Lakers and the Heat, since Erik Spoelstra had decided to start Nikola Jovic. The young Serb from Miami had a complicated start to the season with a stint in the G-League, and only eight games played, and here he is in the starting five in a big lineup.
Not impressed by the context, he did not disappoint with 15 points and 8 rebounds in 28 minutes. It was especially in the first half that he stood out, even capable of launching into a coast-to-coast to set the tone for the match. “I was in the right places, at the right times” he simply commented after the meeting. “Bam, Tyler, Duncan… They just had faith in me. I put in my shots, and that’s it. »
Erick Spoelstra monitors his progress
For Nikola Jovic, this is a third start this season and it is the first time that the Heat have won when he is the starter. “During my first two starts, we lost, and so it was important for me” continues the young winger, who finishes two rebounds short of a first “double-double”.
For Erik Spoelstra, it was a question of growing the starting five against the Lakers’ five, and Nikola Jovic, with his versatility and his youth, gave a real boost at the start of the match. “Niko is progressing, and I’ve already said that” explains the Heat coach. “It’s just that you can’t judge him until he plays every game.”
At 20 years old, Nikola Jovic took advantage of the absences of Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin to show off, and he knows that only defensive progress will allow him to establish himself permanently in the rotation.
“After the loss to the Clippers, we got together to talk about defense, and that everyone needed to raise their level. This is what the coaches want to see” he concluded, without forgetting to thank Bam Adebayo for the help he provides to others in this area.
2024-01-04 10:22:29
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