(Photo : Sam Navarro/Getty Images) MIAMI, FLORIDA – Jaime Jaquez Jr. (#11) of the Miami Heat poses for a photograph throughout media day at Kaseya Center on October 2, 2023 in Miami, Florida.
Unicorns Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren proceed to dominate Rookie of the Year rankings on this younger NBA season, however there may be one identify blazing its strategy to the Top 3.
Miami Heat’s 18th total choose, Jaime Jaquez, is a silent workhorse who has been very constant since Day 1.
His stellar performances for coach Erik Spoelstra’s squad have the league’s writers and analysts taking discover.
He has performed each sport thus far for the Heat and is fifth in scoring with 10.5 factors in 25 minutes per sport. A number of weeks in the past, his level manufacturing was solely at 7 ppg.
This manufacturing isn’t a surprise, although. Scouts thought his benefit over different rookies was that he now not wanted to be developed. He is an impression participant who can contribute straight away.
Spoelstra is aware of the previous UCLA stand-out is all about profiting from alternatives.
“The grit, the perseverance, the mental and the emotional stability,” he stated of Jaquez Jr. earlier than their win towards the Brooklyn Nets two weeks in the past.
“He’s studying issues, however he sometimes does not make the identical mistake twice.
“He’s earned the trust of the staff, but more importantly he’s earned the trust of his teammates. They feel comfortable with him out there and he knows how to fit in. And defensively he can do a lot of different things, which fits into our system.”
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Spoelstra’s phrases don’t resolve whether or not Jaquez is worthy of the award. It is his sport that’s making the case.
Here is why Jaquez is a darkish horse within the ROY race:
1. Veteran-like poise and manufacturing.
Jaquez Jr. is the kind to grab the second.
Unfortunately, Tyler Herro, the Heat’s prime scorer this season, went down with an damage. It’s good for them to have a participant like Jaquez, who continues to fill Herro’s sneakers. He can be filling out the minutes which are alleged to go to Caleb Martin, who will not be but one hundred pc.
The 22-year-old guard scored 19 and 22 of their final two victories. In these video games, he earned significant fourth-quarter minutes, the minutes Herro was alleged to play.
The smartest thing about that’s he’s displaying himself as a real system participant.
2. Heat’s chief off the bench.
Spoelstra had problem mixing and matching his second unit in the beginning of the season as they fell to a 1-4 document of their first 5 video games.
He finally discovered the suitable system with Jaquez among the many key items within the equation.
“What he brings is something that gives us a totally different dimension to that second unit, which is encouraging,” the Fil-Am coach stated after the bounce-back win towards Chicago.
3. Playoffs look on the horizon.
Scottie Barnes received the Rookie of the Year Award in 2022 for his contribution to the Toronto Raptors’ street to the primary spherical of the playoffs.
Jaquez Jr. can carve the identical marketing campaign if the Heat reaches the playoffs once more with him as a key contributor.
The street to ROY for Jaquez Jr. is difficult since Holmgren and Wembanyama are taking part in spectacularly for his or her respective groups. Still, it isn’t arduous to argue that Jaquez is in an ideal spot to steal the limelight.
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