LAS VEGAS — Because the Miami Warmth’s two most up-to-date first-round picks play on on the Las Vegas NBA Summer season League, coach Erik Spoelstra voiced determined optimism about what might come subsequent from the earlier two.
For Kasparas Jakucionis (2025) and Kel’el Ware (2024) the video games proceed on the UNLV campus, together with Sunday evening towards the Cleveland Cavaliers and Monday evening towards the Boston Celtics.
However whereas taking in that motion, Spoelstra provided confidence about his staff’s subsequent steps with Nikola Jovic (2022) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (2023).
With Jovic and Jaquez every having paid their summer-league dues in earlier years, Spoelstra mentioned it’s time for the following step this coming season.
Jovic, taken at No. 27 in 2022 out of Serbia, already has put in offseason time on the Warmth apply court docket at Kaseya Heart, with worldwide time looming later this summer time with Serbia at EuroBasket.
Spoelstra mentioned a fourth-year leap with the 6-foot-10 ahead actually is inside the realm.
“He’s a singular ability set,” Spoelstra mentioned of the enjoying massive man. “So a part of his energy is making different gamers higher. A few of it’s these performs in between, unscripted, is oftentimes the place he’s at his finest. He can also get misplaced, like every participant, in case you’re in strictly in these areas, the place you will get misplaced within the sauce.
“So he can play on the ball. However we have now numerous guys that may play on the ball. So there’s going to be a stability proper there.”
Within the wake of his criticism of the hassle of Ware, Spoelstra mentioned the lesson is how Jovic, 22, has advanced.
“His development additionally will proceed to be the professionalism, the consistency of development, his work ethic, which in case you evaluate that to the place it’s proper now, that’s why I’m inspired for him,” Spoelstra mentioned of Jovic, who entered the NBA as a 19-year-old “When you have a look at the place Niko was as a rookie to the place he’s turning into proper now, it’s evening and day, the work ethic and it’s a consistency of method each single day.”
As with this summer time, Jovic performed for Serbia’s nationwide staff the previous two years, on the 2023 World Championships within the Philippines and the 2024 Paris Olympics, sharing in silver on the World Championships and bronze on the Olympics.
“I believe the final two summers have been actually good as a result of it’s been a powerful stability of the Miami Warmth participant growth program after which going to play for his nationwide staff,” Spoelstra mentioned. “I believe that’s helped his maturity.”
Quickly will probably be again to work below Serbia coach Svetislav Pešić.
“It means quite a bit to that staff, each participant, each teaching employees,” Spoelstra mentioned. “You’ll be able to’t simply go in there casually. So I believe that’s been as essential because the stuff we’ve been doing. And I believe this summer time we have now massive expectations.
“The primary yr, he was a token starter within the World Championships and in moments of reality he wasn’t enjoying. Coaches will play who they suppose will win. Final yr, he was most likely the eighth or ninth or tenth man on the largest stage. So my problem to him was, nicely break into the rotation, make that Corridor of Fame coach earn your belief. And it’s all with the consistency. It’s the successful issues. It’s your method. It’s no completely different than right here.”
To Spoelstra the chance for a successful offseason for Jovic already is below manner.
“Niko had a very good June and late Might. He’s placed on some energy, too. He’s simply going to return again trying completely different,” he mentioned. “Yearly, he comes again stronger, greater. I’m enthusiastic about his enchancment.”
As for Jaquez, drafted No. 18 out of UCLA in 2023, it stays about leaning into what he does finest, with an attacking sport.
“We had some actually good conversations. I advised him I don’t essentially just like the dialogue of you simply need to get again to who you had been your first half of the rookie yr,” Spoelstra mentioned of what led to an All-Rookie choice earlier than a sophomore drop-off final season.
Spoelstra mentioned it now’s about Jaquez beating the scouting report.
“He’s a downhill man. He actually is. He’s aggressive. He’s artful. He’s intelligent, when he will get into all of his spins and faux spins and placing the shoulder down,” Spoelstra mentioned. “Now it’s about making the paint-decision reads while you get in there. As a result of he’ll enhance his taking pictures. Everyone at all times does with us.
“However I don’t need it to be his complete sport based mostly on whether or not he’s making a 3-point shot or not. That’s not him at his finest. Him at his finest are these performs which can be unscripted, getting downhill.”
Equally, Spoelstra mentioned the aggression has to return on the defensive finish.
“Defensively,” Spoelstra mentioned, “when he’s at his finest, he’s simply across the ball quite a bit, whether or not which means the deflections, steals, the hustle play — like arising with momentum-shifting performs. That’s what outlined him when he was in faculty. So actually leaning into that.”
Spoelstra mentioned he has little question the work will stay ongoing, Jaquez, 24, having already frolicked working this offseason with assistant coach Dan Bisaccio and taking pictures coach Rob Fodor.
“He’s gotten a great deal of time with us, with Dan and Rob and dealing on his taking pictures and dealing on participant growth and dealing on his physique,” Spoelstra mentioned. “After which he’s going to spend a while in L.A. He’s bought an exceptional work ethic. He works out thrice a day.
“He’ll play some pickup in L.A., play some five-on-five with these issues in thoughts at UCLA, all that stuff. After which come again out in some unspecified time in the future in August, clear thoughts, prepared.”
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