A consistent pattern is evident in Erik Spoelstra's handling of Nikola Jovic's minutes. I don't know that I have ever seen it before with a player. For the umpteenth time Jovic was among the starters but not the finishers. Jovic finished 7th in minutes played last night, fewer than any other starter and two reserves. Earlier in the season the thought among the cognos was that Spo was puffing Jovic up for a trade. So poor were these cameo performances that Ira Winderman asked rhetorically if Spoelstra wasn't done with this mad scientist experiment. Recently, the intelligent chatter was in the polar opposite: Jovic was the "Heat's" "secret weapon" for the playoffs. The "Heat" was "different" this time versus Denver because we had a more seasoned...Jovic. (Barry Jackson) Jovic's usage has been at polar opposites: starter or DNPCD. Or Sioux Falls! He has spent plenty of time in the G League.

Good writing supposedly ends where it begins so I will do that here. I don't remember ever seeing Erik Spoelstra handle a player in this manner before.