First-year Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. has earned and solidified trust as he heads into his first offseason.
A Promising Future For Miami Heat’s Rookie Is His For the Taking
Jaime Jaquez Jr. Named A Top NBA Rookie
Jaquez has cemented the next few years of his basketball future with the esteemed NBA organization. He has exceeded expectations finishing fourth in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting. With potential changes and player movement to come in the summer months in South Beach, Jaquez isn’t going anywhere.
During his first year, he averaged 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. The four-year player from UCLA shot 48 percent from the field and instantly became a player that Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra could trust with productive minutes. Jaquez’s expectational rookie campaign also saw him lace up for the NBA Rising Stars Challenge during this season’s All-Star weekend.
Miami Heat’s Rookie Gained Trust and Responsibility
Coach Spoelstra’s trust in Jaquez began at the tip of the regular season. Spoelstra called a play specifically for Jaquez in their opening game against the Milwaukee Bucks. This same play was a replica of a play run for Jaquez at UCLA. Another sign of this building trust was a win against the Charlotte Hornets in mid-December. At one point during that game, the Heat were watching their 21-point blow-out lead slip away as the Hornets had chipped their way back. Spoelstra gave the ball to Jaquez. From that point on, the Hornets attempted come-back fell flat, and Miami eventually won the game. Jaquez, off the bench, went 17-6-8 that night.
Erik Spoelstra Praises Jaquez’s Play
There were more instances of this coach-player trust during the regular season. As the season wore on, the coaching staff designated more ball-handling responsibility upon the rookie Jaquez. This trust became ingrained within Miami’s coaching ranks and with its leading All-Star players. Jaquez has earned high praise from his teammates including Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro. None more so than his head coach, though, as Erik Spoelstra had this to say recently:
“So, there were there were some fun points seeing different guys step up seeing our young guys really grow, you know, Jaime exploded onto the scene… That was obvious for everybody to see that he got people scouting reports then changed a little bit then he was injured and then when he came back, I really felt it was a much better player. He was able to see things and deeper level.”
It’s crystal clear that Spoelstra sees something in his rookie. The two-time Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month is turning heads and lifting expectations throughout the Miami Heat organization. The expectation is for Jaquez to be even better next year and consistently produce at a quality rate.
Jaquez’s Playoff Experience and Success
Of course, we’re not just talking regular season here. We’re seven days removed from Miami’s early first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Boston Celtics. Butler did not play in the series, nor did point guard Terry Rozier. Undermanned, undersized, and struggling to score points, Miami couldn’t keep pace with Boston. However, Spoelstra started Miami Heat’s rookie Jaquez each game, minus their final match in which Jaquez was out due to injury. In the first four games, however, Jaquez performed well. He averaged 12.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. Spoelstra has since stated that although it was a disappointing end to their season, he was glad that Jaquez could get some playoff experience in his first year. Spoelstra also said the same for Miami’s second year player, Nikola Jovic.
Next Year Jaquez Should Be Even Better
The upcoming offseason is yet to be determined. Miami Heat President Pat Riley recently stated he does not want to trade Jimmy Butler. Still, Miami’s roster will potentially look a little different next year, regardless of Butler’s status. One thing is for sure, though. Jaquez has most likely earned a permanent starter role, and the Miami Heat rookie should expect to be even better when next season tips off.
