From a rough 1-4 start to the season, the Miami Heat has taken on great form, leading the Southwest division. They look forward to making a stop in Phoenix on Friday for their first game against the Suns. The Heat has a packed roster this season, but we haven’t seen much of 2022 pick Nikola Jovic and that’s because Miami has a knack for having players who they work up from the bottom.

This is Jovic’s second season in the NBA, and having spent enough time in the G-League, he looks forward to carving his name in the big league like his fellow Serbian athletes. Speaking on Nikola Jokic, he does have one regret that he is confident he can fulfill next year.

Nikola Jovic wants to play with Jokic

Jovic expresses his sorrow in not being able to play with the Joker in the 2023 FIBA World Club. “I’m really sad I didn’t get a chance to play with him in the World Cup, but next year I’ll end up playing with him,” the 20-year-old Serbian said. Following the Nuggets‘ Championship win last year in June, Jokic decided to sit out the World Cup, to rest his body. However, he will be gearing up to represent Serbia for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, much to Jovic’s delight.

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The forward also has nothing but praise and admiration for his fellow Serbian counterpart. He shared, “Of course. Just seeing him more and more now, I can understand how great of a player he is. I’m happy to spend time with him. He’s a great person and he’s probably if not the best, one of the best players in the league, world right now.” The young player isn’t too bad himself, as he was part of the Serbian team that brought home silver medals from the 2023 FIBA World Cup in the Philippines.

There is more to Jovic

Germany defeated the Serbian team (83–77) in the 2023 Championship game and Jovic and Co. finished in second place. This is not to say that Jovic did not deliver. He displayed great improvement from his first season in the NBA and finished the run with averages of 10.1 points, three rebounds, and 2.6 assists. This season, he has frequented the G-League twice already, once in November and then in December.

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Jovic has played eight games so far and has averaged 6.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. On Wednesday, he started against the Lakers and gave an excellent performance. Having such a significant impact on the World Cup team, it’s just a matter of adjusting to the NBA speed for Jovic, who needs to start often and log significant playing time.

What is your take on Jovic’s starting performance on Wednesday vs the Lakers? Do you think he is a great complementary piece for Jimmy Butler? Share your thoughts!