‘Punish them’: Heat’s Nikola Jovic wants to be stronger now that camp is around the corner

MIAMI — In many ways, the next lesson for Nikola Jovic is one of greatness, considering who learned so much from the Miami Heat roster more than a decade ago.

When discussing his goals for the upcoming season, the third-year player referenced an aspect of growth that none other than LeBron James had to overcome in Heat colors.

No, this is absolutely not comparable to James, who fell into a slump after he couldn’t utilize his 6-foot-10 frame against the 5-foot-10 JJ Barea during the Heat’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals.

But the thinking is similar: when big and small meet in a defensive substitution, a statement must be made – a powerful statement.

Jovic said this was the point he focused on most this summer as he prepared for the start of training camp on October 1.

“I would say the biggest thing I worked on the most was when I was in the low post, when I had a smaller guy on me, I just had to punish them,” said Jovic, 21. “That’s something that I think will help our team a lot. So I would say that’s the biggest thing for me, other than still being able to spread the floor and everything I’ve done.”

When Jovic was selected 27th overall out of Serbia in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft, he sought to emphasize his ballhandling and shooting, positioning himself as a shooting guard.

The Heat have had enough. Still have had enough.

But the Heat have such a dire need at power forward that Jovic could easily return to the starting role he held late last season and into the playoffs.

Jovic, who the Heat list as 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds, appreciates the emphasis placed on the strength aspect of his offensive role.

“I think for me it’s a very important part of the game to be able to punish every mismatch,” he said, “and I keep working on that and I try to do that as much as possible.”

While the power play remains an ongoing process, Jovic will arrive to camp after a summer in which he shared Olympic bronze with Nikola Jokic and the Serbian national team at the Paris Olympics. While it’s not quite the gold of Heat center Bam Adebayo, it’s a moment to cherish nonetheless.

“It was incredible,” Jovic said. “It was something very important, not only for us, but for our country.

“That’s why we celebrated.”

They did, and during the medal ceremony, the Serbian team probably celebrated the event with more passion than Adebayo, James and Team USA.

More celebrations followed, as Jovic reached legal drinking age in June.

“We gave everything we had, so we were just happy to win,” Jovic said. “We knew we deserved something and that’s why we celebrated.”

But it was also a mixed off-season, as Jovic not only struggled with an ankle injury sustained during training at the Kaseya Center in June, but also with an illness in the final stages of the Paris Games.

Jovic and his team were in the Olympic Village, while Adebayo and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, an assistant with Team USA, stayed at a hotel.

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“We were in the village and they were in Paris and in the hotel,” Jovic said. “And when the quarterfinals and semifinals came around, I got really sick, so I couldn’t be with them. Bam and I chatted a little bit before and after the games, and after they won the gold medal.”

Now the three will keep an eye on each other again, including during the media day on September 30 at the Kaseya Center and during the training camp at the Baha Mar resort in the Bahamas.

The question is whether there will be enough playing time on court, as the rehabilitation after the ankle fracture still seems to be ongoing.

“I want to make sure my foot is good,” Jovic said. “I don’t want any new problems.”