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Heat rookie Nikola Jovic explains why he believes G League time with Skyforce can help him

On Friday, rookie Nikola Jovic was in Boston with the Miami Heat. On Saturday and Sunday, Jovic was in South Dakota with the Heat’s G League affiliate. And on Monday, Jovic was back with the Heat in Memphis before returning with the team to Miami for Tuesday night’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons.

The last few days have been a whirlwind for Jovic, but the 19-year-old Serbian forward was not surprised when he was told Friday to take a flight to South Dakota to join the Sioux Falls Skyforce for one G League game.

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“Nothing was a surprise,” Jovic said, as the Heat returned to Miami following Monday’s 101-93 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies to open a three-game homestand on Tuesday against the Pistons. “I knew at one moment that I was going to go because they told me they want me to play a little bit. At this moment, there was no space for me to be on the court with the Heat guys. But they told me they want me to play. So I kind of knew [I would go to the G League], I just didn’t know when. It just happened to be now and I was really happy.”

Jovic’s short stint in the G League lasted two days, as he arrived in Sioux Falls on Saturday and then played for the Skyforce in Sunday’s home win over the Wisconsin Herd before rejoining the Heat in Memphis on Monday. He didn’t shoot the ball well in his first G League appearance, scoring eight points on 3-of-12 shooting from the field and 1-of-6 shooting from three-point range but still managed to finish with 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals.

Maybe the most important number on Jovic’s stat line was the 31 minutes he played in his first game with the Skyforce. He has only played more minutes in a game once in his first 10 appearances with the Heat this season.

“It was like my first time playing for most of the game,” said Jovic, who was selected by the Heat with the 27th pick in this year’s draft. “I mean, I played a few games for the Heat when we had a lot of injured players. But it was my first time that I got to play a lot. The game was great.

“I was just trying to show everything that I could do and I think I did that. But my shot efficiency was not that good. It happens. We’re working on it every day. But everything else from defense to passing to rebounding, I think I did pretty good. I was just trying to help my team win. That’s what the coaches want me to do and we won, and that’s the only thing that matters.”

When the Heat’s roster has been relatively healthy, Jovic has not been part of the team’s rotation. But he was forced into consistent action when Miami was recently decimated by injuries, logging double-digit minutes and starting in six straight games from Nov. 16-25.

Jovic flashed his potential, especially on the offensive end, as a skilled 6-11 big man during that stretch with his playmaking (nine assists), nice touch around the basket (10 of 14 from inside the restricted area) and ability to draw fouls (18 of 19 from the free-throw line) during this six-game span. But not enough of his outside shots went in, as he shot just 4 of 21 (19 percent) from three-point range.

Jovic’s defense remains more of a work in progress. Those guarded by Jovic shot an ultra-efficient 60 percent from the field during his six starts, as Heat coach Erik Spoelstra played others over Jovic late in most of those games.

“I think I showed I can really play,” Jovic said when asked about his first six NBA starts. “Even when I started, I didn’t play that much – 14 or 15 minutes. But I think I really showed that I can play and I can be on the court. But I think I need to work on really everything, just feeling more comfortable on the court. It’s my first year, so it’s not easy. But I was working hard all summer through the training camp and before that. I think I looked pretty good on the court and I’m just trying to help my team win as much as I can this year.”

As the Heat’s roster moves closer to full health, Jovic’s consistent playing time has disappeared. Entering Tuesday’s matchup against the Pistons, he had received four straight DNP-CDs (did not play, coach’s decision).

That’s why Jovic expects to head back to the G League for more extended playing time at some point this season.

“It helps me a lot with my feel for the game,” Jovic said of the possibility of returning to the Skyforce. “I can try to do things more than with the Heat because the ball is in my hands in Sioux Falls and it’s sometimes on me to work and try to get a shot. But when I’m with the Heat, I’m doing the same thing but it’s not on me to be that guy right now. I don’t know yet, but I think I’ll probably go back [to Sioux Falls] again and I think it’s a great thing for me.”