With the Miami Heat's 0-4 start to the season after Monday night's 113-109 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, there are a lot of aspects of the team that still need to be figured out. Aside from the Heat adjusting to superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, the rotations on the bench are still a work in progress, especially when it comes to Nikola Jovic's placement on the roster.
In Jovic's fifth NBA season, the former first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft is still looking to play at a consistent level, but that hasn't been the case so far. After a rough last season filled with regression and injuries, the hope was that the 2026-27 season would see Jovic with a clear mind and access to minutes, though that has yet to be seen in the results.
After recording 24 minutes in the season opener on Oct. 21 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, his minutes have dwindled. When it came to the aforementioned loss to Dallas on Monday, Jovic didn't play due to the coach's decision, as head coach Erik Spoelstra said he is “still trying to find that spot” for the 23-year-old, according to The Miami Herald.
“So this is different than last year because he’s been giving us good minutes,” Spoelstra said about Jovic after shootaround on Wednesday ahead of the outing against the Atlanta Hawks. “I did extend our frontcourt big minutes the other night, so Niko is still fully in the mix. I just have to figure it out.”
Heat's Nikola Jovic downplays significance of not playing last game
This isn't the first time that Jovic has dealt with inconsistent minutes on the Heat, with him saying Wednesday that he “can't say I kind of didn't expect it.”
Article Continues Below“I’ve been going through similar stuff before,” Jovic said, as he signed a four-year, $62 million contract extension in Oct. of 2025. “The more you’re used to that stuff, the easier it gets. I’m just ready for whatever is next.”
It appears that one should expect Jovic more, as it remains to be seen if it happens on Wednesday night against the Hawks as Miami looks for its first win.