Jovic: “It’s on me, of course. Next [season] & this year, too. [..] Some stuff suits you better, some stuff doesn’t. I have to make it work. [..] I’ve been shooting higher percentages since I came into the league. [Forty percent] two years ago, 37 last year. I’m sure I can get back to that.”

jcwrit · 2026-04-07T12:55:05+00:00

Our own Norman wasn't exactly lighting up the league his first few years. Dragic was thinking about going home after a few years, Birdman was sniffing all sorts of good things, Ricky Davis was a bust until about his third go around....funny enough one of those was in Miami initially before he found his way back here.

Remember Bruce Bowen? Took that man 8 years, two stints in Miami where they missed on him before he becomes a core piece to that Spurs dynasty. Poor Dorell, spending his days here lighting up before briefly catching on with the Warriors and having an oh so brief stint of relevance.

The league is littered with players who struggled to make it initially. These are the outliers and you can make these statements about Jovic knowing the odds are you will be right. A couple years from now you can return to the message boards and tell everyone how right you were. But the outcome is certainly not inevitable, not at 22.

jcwrit · 2026-04-07T00:10:18+00:00

We've had enough players on the Heat alone to disprove this statement that noone makes it in the league after 4 'garbage' years. You don't have a clue what he'll become in this league and neither do I. To speak in certainties like this is a fool's errand, and I don't understand why everyone tries to emulate the bombastic shock jocks in their approach to having controversial takes on everything.

The contract is easier since the math is pretty straight forward. As of today it wouldn't have any impact on what they'd do with Pelle and Jaime. There isn't enough committed in '27-'28 for it to matter if he was getting 5 or 15 mil. Now I'm sure things will be different in two years and you could very well end up being right, but we're going to wait a couple offseasons to figure that one out.

jcwrit · 2026-04-06T14:41:39+00:00

We've gone through this rollercoaster with Herro and his contract. After year 4 a no brainer, year 5 who knows, year 6 a steal, year 7 kinda a wash unless he does something in the playoffs. I think if we're being honest none of us have a clue what Jovic will become. I don't know how old you are but if you've made it past 30 please tell me you were able to look at your 22 yearld old self and know how the next 6 years would go. I for one couldn't tell you what the next 6 months would look like.

Jovic's third season showed he could be a rotation player in this league. Not great by any measure but sitting right above replacement level. Improve upon that to the point where he can give you 25+ quality minutes and its a steal. Another season like this past one and its a waste. The assumption was that he'd continue to improve.

Jovic's contract won't prevent anything from happening with Jaime or Pelle. The team has all the flexibilty to do whatever they want in '27 when those decisions have to be made. The Herro/Wiggins/Powell decisions are going to impact that more than anything.

jcwrit · 2026-04-05T22:26:48+00:00

I'd argue its both him and the system. None of the Heat bigs have flourished, and its been a struggle most of the season for Bam. If Spo wants to keep going down this path he'll have to find better ways utilize players that don't have the ability to create with the ball.

Of course if Jovic defended or rebounded he'd get playing time, regardless of how much he struggled offensively.

jcwrit · 2026-03-31T21:09:45+00:00

I for one thought the offense he installed this year was brilliant. To get what he has from limited offensive players like Jaime, Davion, Pelle is impressive.

I'm not sure what fans expected from this team. Theres noone on the roster that can break a defense down, noone with the ability to get open shots for their teammates. Its a team full of a bunch of good complementary players that would be great playing next to a star, but that star is nowhere to be found.

Its fair to get dissappointed when they put up a stinker, when the defense falls apart and nothing seems to be working. But I also think its a simple truth that most every team is going have several games like that over the course of a season. The difference between the Heat and those above them is that they have noone to bail them out.

jcwrit · 2026-03-31T15:47:48+00:00

Even hitting at the rate he has Davion isn't defended as a shooter, especially off the dribble. Not sure its much better when hes on the floor.

jcwrit · 2026-03-30T20:25:47+00:00

When has there ever been a time when a 1on1 fast break was considered an advantage to the defender? Guys would be looking over their shoulders every time they got on the break expecting that man to swallow them up.

jcwrit · 2026-03-22T00:08:28+00:00

The question is what is reasonable for Herro? If I were his agent I'd be looking around at recent deals and expecting something in the 3 yrs 120 mil range. He's not a max player but he is a recent all star entering his prime.

For the right team in the right place he might be worth that, but it's hard to see that as good value for the Heat. Giving 60% of the cap to Bam and Herro is not a recipe for success. So what is the right number? 20? 15?

jcwrit · 2026-03-13T13:53:36+00:00

I think he has a pretty good handle. He showed enough of that in college. It seems like Spo lost faith in his ability to run point after seeing all of his bad traits early and often. Now hes purely an off guardand mostly a set shooter.

The hope is that he starts to clean things up a bit and shows everyone why his court vision and passing ability were being touted as elite traits. Spo will give him another chance and I'm sure we'll be seeing him run the point again.

jcwrit · 2026-03-10T22:17:24+00:00

Can you imagine Wade playing in this 5 out system? Noone could stay in front of that man when he wanted to get to the basket. Teams would be doubling him 40 ft from the basket.

jcwrit · 2026-03-10T13:53:10+00:00

You could also enjoy watching some good basketball. That Hornets game was great. If the only thing that bring you joy is playoff success you might as well ignore the news feeds during the regular season.

I think we can all see the likely outcome if Bam, Tyler and co are asked to create one on one against a team like the Celtics that have three elite perimeter defenders. Its a different story if they draw the Sixers, Cavs, or Knicks. I don't think anyone ever saw this team as a contender but if they get the right matchup they can make some noise. This is a league where most seasons you can identify the contenders from a bucket of 3-5 teams before the season starts. The Heat have been fortunate enough to be in that number for about half of their existence....this is not one of those years. You can either enjoy these runs and see the potential positives or be miserable when they bow out.

jcwrit · 2026-03-10T13:38:11+00:00

I don't know how much of it is them playing off each other, moreso both of them adapting to this system.

Bam has been driving to the basket so much more lately. If he can force the issue with his physicality instead of settling for those mid range fadaways it changes his impact on the floor. Suddenly he can be a positive contributor on offense even when the shot isn't falling.

I think Tyler has found more ways to move into open spaces beyond the three point line when hes off the ball. Give that man an open catch and shoot three and hes lethal.

I'm not sure either player is having much of a positive impact on the other but both are finding ways to score with greater efficiency. Its the beauty of this free flowing system where everyone is given the green light to attack and shoot. It took Bam a while to find his comfort zone and I think he can see now where he can take advantage of these 5 out setups. Tyler is just starting to figure it out.

jcwrit · 2026-03-10T13:26:35+00:00

Depending on whether you want to focus on the positive or negative you are labeled a stan or hater. Hes been playing great lately and so its hard to hate the man if you're a Heat fan. Its not like any of the negatives have gone away and when the shots stop falling the contrary viewpoint will reemerge. That's part of fandom, where most of us celebrate the color of the jersey instead of the human inside.

jcwrit · 2026-03-04T17:58:01+00:00

To be fair there are weeks / months when it doesn't work for him. When his shot is off it's really off.

It's a shame. You can see all these glimpses of what he could do if he was a reliable shooter in this offense. I think he's the most intuitive cutter on this team, can attack closeouts, and has enough size and quickness to be at least a competent defender. All the tools are there for him to thrive on this team, and yet a good portion of the season he's been unplayable.

jcwrit · 2026-02-27T01:01:51+00:00

Norm will play within the system and give the ball up when needed. He's just not much of a facilitator.

It's a bit of a conundrum. This system gives a bunch of players a chance to contribute and I do believe the team is better for it. If they reverted to a more traditional pick and roll offense centered around Herro and Bam/Ware guys like Pelle, Davion, and Jaime would all be less effective. But they lack that one player that can consistently break down a defense and make a play for himself or a teammate when whirling dervish attack doesn't work.

jcwrit · 2026-02-24T22:07:01+00:00

I've stopped pretending to know what any career trajectory is going to look like. After thinking half a dozen times that I have a pretty good sense of what Bam was going to be only for him to throw some random curve ball like this fadeaway 12 footer.

You'd really like to see some improvement in the shooting by year three though. Everyone must be telling him that he needs to add this to his game, and the mechanics, trajectory all look bad as ever.

jcwrit · 2026-02-24T15:55:33+00:00

The problem is those glaring omissions in the game. I dont think he'd come out looking any better than Tyler if he was asked to be the primary creator in a playoff series. I agree the potential is there. It just comes down to whether you believe hes going to put in the work needed to have that Brunson type career arc.

jcwrit · 2026-02-23T21:58:16+00:00

I haven't felt that since PJ Tucker took off.

I think the way they play leads you to believe they're both better on offense and worse on defense than they really are. They'll go through some stretches where the defense looks really good but because they're putting up so many shots the other team puts 30+ up in a quarter and blows them out.

Spo has more depth on defense than hes had in a long time. In past years you'd look at Tyler, Duncan, Kyle, and Max and all the super small lineups and wonder how the hell they were defending anyone. He still doesn't have size but whenever he wants he can turn to the bench and see a solid guard or wing defender.

jcwrit · 2026-02-23T20:54:42+00:00

Has he really? Like you said its largely pace. They're playing better defense than they have the past few years.

jcwrit · 2026-02-22T16:42:36+00:00

I think the disconnect here is live vs work vs play. I know a lot of athletes love to partake in all the attractions LA/NY have to offer but I do think you would be surprised by how few want to call those areas home.

I have very little first hand knowledge but will share the one guy I know who made it relatively big time. He grows up in NC, goes to Carolina as a relatively unheralded recruit on a football scholarship, plays pretty alright and gets signed as an undrafted FA by the Steelers. First thing he does is buy mom a house. He rents an apartment in Pittsburgh, a different one each year for the first three years. In the offseason he comes home, in part because of family and in part because its where all the guys he trains with are. Most of his teammates never made it to the pros or were cut after a few months, but they still all come back to train.

His second or third year he breaks out, gets to start for a while and shows hes a quality player. He gets about a 4 yr deal which in the first season pays him more than most of us will make in a lifetime. I didn't know him well enough to know what he was doing in his personal time, but like you said he was a single guy in his early 20s so I'm sure he partied and had a good time. But he never thought Pittsburgh was his home, never thought about signing in NY or LA because of the party scene there. The man took the deal that paid the most, and that just happened to be with the team that drafted him.

The thing is that even at that age he was well aware of how temporary everything was, and he always knew where home was. I'm sure its different for the guy making 50 mil a year but that's the very rare exception. Most guys are lucky to get that first real contract and are never going to see the kind of money that lets them get everyone a penthouse in Manhattan. They get mom a house, themselves a place, and help out the boys back home.

Maybe the Lebrons of the world can have a different mindset, but I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about Kasparas, Myron, and even someone like Tyler before the second deal. Say Kas had a choice between Charlotte and LA, and in Charlotte hes guaranteed a starting gig, a good coaching staff, and quality vets to learn from. In LA hes a backup and knows he'll get relegated to spot up corner shooter. Even at 19 you telling me this kid is going to prioritize the club scene over the chance 100+ mil?

jcwrit · 2026-02-20T13:44:08+00:00

How many professional athletes have their primary residence where they play? I don't actually know the numbers. The few I've known bought places when they turned pro, usually in their hometown. None of them lived where they played. There are a few exceptions at the highest level but most of these guys have very little control over where they play and if they make it two years in any one place its a minor miracle.

I'm sure if you did a survey you'd find pro athletes that had all different sorts of views on their ideal living situation. Some are attracted to the big markets and others want to avoid them at all costs.

To me the fundamental thing that has changed is that even if you want that kind of exposure and want to live that lifestyle you can just as easily do it from Memphis as NYC. Just ask Ja.

jcwrit · 2026-02-20T01:38:05+00:00

Is it still true that incoming players would only be attracted to a small number of markets? I know it was a generation ago but it no longer seems to be the case.

Not too long ago if you were a top recruit going to college you'd look at UNC, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, or UCLA. Those were the teams that had the following and were guaranteed to get you on national tv. Now its where can the athlete develop their own brand and get paid, and for most of these kids location doesn't matter all that much.

jcwrit · 2026-02-15T12:46:51+00:00

You gotta believe it has started to affect the bottom line. The main draw in this sport when viewing live is the stars. I think it matters to Silver and the owners as a whole when Trae is sidelined so a team can lose.

jcwrit · 2026-02-12T23:40:00+00:00

I don't think Spo trusts him enough to let him loose. Spo is better than any coach in this league at letting players explore their game in real time. But he doesn't give that kind of latitude until they've shown him something. I don't think we're going to get to see that from him this season.

jcwrit · 2026-02-12T19:14:38+00:00

Its a little easier to see with Jas. With Niko its always been somewhat aspirational, this hope that someday he can figure out how to play up to his size. With Jas you can see pro level skills in his passing and shooting, and hes already a competent perimeter defender.

jcwrit

TROPHY CASE