"Remember the seemingly surefire breakout for Nikola Jovic? You know, the one that looked like it might define the 2025-26 NBA season at large for the Miami Heat? Well, it hasn't happened. What's worse is there have been zero indications it'll come any time soon. He is scoring and distributing less than last season while shooting worse than he has since his rookie year. He has a single three-pointer (on seven attempts) to show for his last three trips to the hardwood combined."
"And yet, it still feels like he could find his way out of this. Actually, it seems like the breakout should still be on schedule, since Miami's new offense, which prioritizes pace and space, looks like a perfect fit for his skillset. And maybe it could still be with a shift in his approach. More touches and playmaking chances could be what brings out Jovic's best."
"The best-case-scenario form of Jovic might be borderline unstoppable in this offense. He's a skilled 6'10" forward who can dribble, shoot, and distribute. Let him cook against defenses that aren't fully set, and he just might serve up some Michelin star-rated delicacies. The problem is his menu looks way too limited at the moment. Rather than serving as an all-purpose jumbo forward, he's basically operating as a shooting specialist."
Nikola Jovic's anticipated breakout has not occurred. He is scoring and distributing less than last season while shooting worse than in his rookie year. He has one three-pointer on seven attempts across his last three games. Miami's new pace-and-space offense fits his dribble-shoot-distribute skillset but Jovic currently functions mostly as a shooting specialist. His 17.4 percent usage rate is the second-lowest of his career and his average touch lasts only 2.17 seconds, the fourth-fewest on the roster per NBA.com. Increased touches and playmaking opportunities are necessary for him to impact the team.
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