Still yet to graduate high school, Heat’s Jovic a sidelined study in NBA potential

No, this is not what Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic expected from his first NBA season.

Then again, perhaps there should be some slack, considering the kid has yet to graduate from high school.

“Still have to wait on that,” the 19-year-old big man said this week amid the Heat’s postseason workouts. “I have to go back and take the tests in person.”

Put into that context, perhaps a rookie season limited to 15 NBA games and seven more in the G League, is merely part of a growth curve.

Then again, it well could be that growth curve that had the 6-foot-11 Serb out since Dec. 28 due to back spasms.

“I’m still growing,” he said, “but my bones are a little weak. I mean, you learn from this, how to handle your body.”

Listed as 225 pounds, Jovic said the emphasis while sidelined was strengthening and evolving.

“I think I gained a lot of stuff,” the No. 27 pick in last June’s draft said. “First of all, just seeing how the competition is. In the minutes I did play, the starts, I saw I can play. It’s not a problem. I know I can help this team and be a role player for right now, because you need to gain more to be a legitimate starter.

“Also, we have a lot of vets on our team and I’ve been learning a lot from them, especially how to handle your body, recovery, what to do off the court, how to handle life off the court and be prepared every day for basketball.”

There were enough moments of hope along the way to provide encouragement, including eight NBA starts and an 18-point game against the Washington Wizards.

But, all the while, there was the back pain that had radiated since summer league.

“When it first actually started this summer, it got worse and worse and became really a problem,” he said. “And it was even beyond basketball. In normal life, it was really a big problem.

“I had trouble waking up, the pain, sitting down anywhere – restaurants, home. I was not feeling comfortable in any position, walking, running. It was just hurting all the time. And that’s when I started to actually think it might be something serious and something we needed to be really concerned about. And they shut me down.”

Surgery has been ruled out.

Basically, he still has to fill into his body, while still growing, something rarely an issue for the veteran-oriented Heat.

“I feel like almost 100 percent,” he said. “Well not 100, but almost.”

In Europe, the schedule for playing and training was rigorous. But as the Heat prepared for Friday night’s NBA play-in game at Kaseya Center against the Chicago Bulls, it has been mostly about shagging balls at practice for Jovic.

“The last time I didn’t play was when I broke my arm, when I was 15,” Jovic said. “It’s been weird, really weird. Last year, I think I missed one game. This year, I have played like 20, 25. I mean, you learn from this, how to handle my body.”

For now, he is trending to being back on the court when the Heat participate in summer leagues in Sacramento and Las Vegas, having teased last summer with his highly skilled game in such venues before the back became limiting.

In the interim, there will be a need to get back to Europe.

“I’ll be going home for a little bit,” he said, “and then I’ll be back.”

Going back to cram for those high school finals.

“I’ll be proud of myself,” he said, smiling, of soon finally securing his diploma. “I might even see about something for college. But one thing at a time.”

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