Jaime Jaquez Jr., the Miami Heat’s first-round pick in June, has been in the middle of various ongoing discussions this offseason. Awkwardly enough, much of the talk revolves around his possible inclusion in a trade package for All-NBA guard Damian Lillard rather than what he can bring to the team. However, training camp is approaching and the Lillard trade talks are stalled, so it’s time to start looking at what the rookie can do for the Heat this season.
Starting with the important question, will he even get playing time? In the beginning of the season, we might see Jaquez in short spurts, like Nikola Jovic last year. Jaquez does seem to be a bit more NBA-ready than Jovic (even though he’s a rookie, he’s also two years older than Jovic, Miami’s first-round pick last year), so we could see him on the floor a bit more.
He’s 22 years old with four years of college ball under his belt, playing in multiple March Madness tournaments. His experience and unique skillset set him apart from other guys on the roster.
The Heat love running small ball lineups with pesky defenders flying around and guys throwing up 3-pointers, so a traditional forward is not necessarily needed for this group. This would be a great opportunity for Jaquez to truly stand out though, as the roster is filled with guards who have to play bigger than they actually are. The only other forwards that he’d be competing against for minutes are Jamal Cain and Haywood Highsmith, and Jaquez could be a hybrid of both (Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin have their minutes written down in Sharpie).
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If Jaquez plays well enough, he could likely see himself as the seventh-to-eighth man off the bench by the end of the season. It’d be hard to see him cracking the starting lineup considering he’d have to play at an extremely high level. Not to mention that he shares a similar skillset as Jimmy Butler, so redundancies there could limit a potential Butler-Jaquez on-court pairing.
Jaquez likes to attack closeouts, create rim pressure, and get to his mid-range spot. He plays the passing lanes very well, just like Butler. The only thing that could land the two on the court at the same time is Jaquez becoming a reliable 3-point shooter, which is not one of his strong suits. He shot 32.8% from distance in college, but Heat coaches think he’s better than his percentage shows.
His playmaking is what will not only help the Heat throughout the season, but also help earn him minutes. The Heat need another shot-creator or just a straight-up playmaker on the court. Jaquez’s ability to drive and kick to shooters will be highly valued.
When Butler sits, this is where Jaquez can potentially earn his keep. We could see minutes of Jaquez playing alongside Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, as that would give the Heat a strong combination of playmaking and constant rim pressure. His ability to get to the mid-range pull-up or even create a lane will open the floor up for shooters.
Jaquez could become a dual threat in the pick-and-roll with Adebayo. A simple screen could land a mismatch for both Jaquez and Adebayo to feast on, could open the mid-range for both and if help comes, Jaquez is skilled enough to make a pass anywhere on the floor. It won’t be perfect every time, but it could bring a new dynamic to the offense.
Adebayo-Herro-Jaquez with a shooter like Duncan Robinson and a select wing (Josh Richardson/Caleb Martin) could lead to positive minutes that would not only keep the offense afloat but keep a defensive edge that is sometimes missing without Butler. Erik Spoelstra will put him in positions to make plays, and Jaquez just feels like an impact player. It could be a match made in Heaven.
Statistical averages are always a bit rough to predict, but coming into this season, expect Jaquez to do things that don’t show on the box score. When he steps on the floor it’ll lead to more of a team impact than an individual. He’ll bring IQ, a competitive edge, and a hustle that will meet the expectations of “Heat Culture.”
The expectation for this season shouldn’t be a Jaime Jaquez Rookie of the Year campaign. It should be a season where he can learn the ropes while contributing. The transition will come with some rough stretches, but Jaquez has the experience and the two-way skillset to keep him on the floor, and Heat fans should be excited.