Nikola Jovic on Erik Spoelstra: “He wants me to be great”
· EurohoopsThe 20-year-old Serbian forward also commented on his progress on the defensive end
By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Providing 8 points from the starting five in the huge 37-point (121-84) home victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Nikola Jovic is proving to be a valuable and important asset in Miami’s rotation.
Talking with Five Reasons Sports’ reporter Brady Hawk in the post-game, he said he has been appreciated by Erik Spoelstra a lot. “He wants me to be great, and I appreciate that”, he commented on the future Hall of Famer and current head coach.
The 20-year-old forward talked about his defensive improvements. “I’m becoming a really good 1-on-1 defender, and that’s something that I will continue to work on. Something I’m showing lately. You can always be better and I hope I’ll be a lot better in that too”, he also said.
After a solid silver-medal run with the Serbian national team at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, he has now been averaging 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game in the 2023-24 NBA Regular Season.
Before heading to the NBA with the 27th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, he spent three years in the young teams of Mega MIS from 2018 to 2021, playing one official season in the ABA League in 2021-22, where he averaged 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images