Nikola Jović's broken hand adds new blow to tough Heat season
A challenging season for the Miami Heat (26-29) keeps experiencing new layers.
En route to another blown double-digit lead on Sunday, the Heat lost a key rotation piece as third-year forward Nikola Jović suffered a broken hand against the Milwaukee Bucks, disappointing teammates and coaches who routinely laud the 21-year-old's versatile contributions as he experiences his own ups-and-downs in the NBA.
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Jović started Miami's first eight games of the season before being moved to the bench on Nov. 10 and suffering a broken nose against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 12. Those moments preceded a string of DNPs that didn't dim Miami's belief in Jović eventually finding his way back into the rotation. In fact, from Dec. 23 to Feb. 5, he played arguably the finest basketball of his career, averaging 13.6 points on 48.2 percent shooting from the field and making 42.1 percent of his 3-point attempts. He added 4.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists over that 23-game stretch, which included 17 double-figure scoring performances and four 20-point outings. Over that span, the Heat posted a 12-11 record as Jović's presence improved their net rating by a team-best 7.3 points per 100 possessions (676 minutes).
Since then, though, Jović's production regressed as the Heat carried a four-game losing streak into the All-Star break and have split their two games since returning. Prior to his latest injury, he shot only 37.7 percent overall in six games since scoring a season-high 23 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 5, but he remained a net positive for the Heat on defense. His 33 contested shots trailed only the newly-acquired Andrew Wiggins (43) and rookie center Kel'el Ware (34) for the team lead over that time. According to NBA.com, opponents shot only 41.3 percent when guarded by Jović during that six-game stretch.
In short, his latest injury is unfortunate. It's not hard to find Heat coaches and teammates ready to echo that sentiment.
'I feel for Niko. I know how much he's put into this,' Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said on Sunday. 'He's had a couple injuries previously. This has nothing to do with it. He's not snakebitten or anything like that. … I was shocked by the prognosis on it, but we'll see how long it'll take. In the meantime, other guys will have to step up, but I really feel for Niko.'
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During his aforementioned shooting slump, Jović expressed gratitude for teammates carrying him on offense and hoped to return the favor by being more efficient on that end. He's also routinely mentioned a desire to continuously improve his defensive communication and focus with off-ball coverage. A key to Jović's development has been his impressive self-awareness with knowing where his game is lacking and heeding tutelage from teammates and the coaching staff. Throughout the season, Spoelstra has lauded Jović's ability to stack productive days despite experiencing peaks and valleys.
But that's been the theme of Miami's season, which, for the time being, will continue without a valuable player who aids margin for error. By cutting the Heat's 14 blown double-digit leads even in half, this season would take on a totally different identity, especially in the East. As matters stand, though, the Heat are as close to the conference's final playoff berth as they are to the last Play-In spot. It's the ultimate middle ground for a team consistently searching for a positive direction.
With or without Jović in the lineup, team captain Bam Adebayo has grown weary of Miami's pattern of blowing sizable leads and preaching the value of not giving up extended runs to opponents, whether they're contenders, playoff hopefuls or lottery-bound cellar dwellers. He recognizes the team needs Jović on the court but also knows Miami will need to trust the next man up in the interim.
It's how the game goes.
'You lose a guy like that — young guy, ambitious, trying to make something of himself in this league — we want that for him,' Adebayo said of Jović. 'It's just, for him, a minor setback for a major comeback. When we get him back, we'll be happy to see him in the lineup.'
Last week, Herro preached about the importance of Miami locking into this final stretch of the season, but the team must improve its record during his 40-point performances (0-3 this season) to truly maximize everything its leading scorer provides, for the rest of this season and in the long term. After Miami's loss to Milwaukee on Sunday, which included a 37-23 lead after the first quarter, Herro reiterated the task at hand as games progress and opportunity to climb the East standings shrinks – for the time being, they'll face that task without a key cog in the operation.
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'Obviously, we want to win. That's what we're out there to do, is win games,' Herro said. 'Just gotta continue to be aggressive, watch the film. … Obviously, no one wants to lose, and that's where we're at right now. We're just continuing to find consistency at this point of the season where we can try to stack these wins right now.'
Jović's development is vital to the Heat's future because his versatility on both sides of the ball can carve out a crucial element in the team's long-term identity. It's hard to find valuable wings in the NBA, especially for a team that recently traded one of the league's best to quell a season's worth of drama.
Until (or if) Jović returns this season, the Heat will continue needing to get creative with making the most of a challenging campaign. Nobody – even Herro himself – is expecting this team to contend for a championship this season, but Miami's new leading man did consider Jović to be one of its most vital pieces to creating a new future, whether that includes a strong finish this season or carrying over positive signs into the next.
At this point, though, the Heat will take whatever they can as they aim to simply keep their postseason hopes alive and cap this season with some optimism.
'We're going to have to stick with it,' Spoelstra said after Sunday's loss, which included Miami being outscored 65-48 in the second half. 'We're going to have to dig deep and fight through this frustration right now to get a breakthrough on the road, and find a way to get it done in the moments of truth.'
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