With training camp roughly a month away, expectations are rising that the Miami Heat could become an unlikely Eastern Conference contender if two young players take significant developmental steps. Nikola Jovic and Pelle Larsson gained EuroBasket experience this summer, and the organization expects that exposure to accelerate their growth. The trade of Haywood Highsmith creates playing time for Larsson, while Miami's decision not to sign a backup big signals confidence in Jovic alongside Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware. The team's roster construction and season outlook now depend heavily on Jovic and Larsson embracing larger roles and producing quickly.
Because of how the Heat operated this summer, it's almost as if they're expecting the likes of Larsson and Jovic to make big leaps in their development. That became even clearer after they decided to trade Haywood Highsmith a couple of weeks ago. The trade of Highsmith opens the door for Larsson to play a bigger role this season. For Jovic, well, the Heat's confidence in him is pretty evident, considering Miami didn't sign any big man this summer to back up Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware.
That probably means that there's a good chance Jovic starts at the 4 next to Bam, and that Ware is going to get the call as the primary backup big off the bench. But despite the Heat's hopes, none of that will work this season if Larsson and Jovic aren't ready for bigger roles. If they do make a jump in their development that no one outside of the Heat's offices believes will happen, it will completely change the outlook for Miami this season
Collection
[
|
...
]