If Kasparas Jakucionis has indeed earned Erik Spoelstra's trust, it will surely be revealed as the Miami Heat enter the final push for the NBA Playoffs. It's in these moments when teams naturally shrink their rotations. If Jakucionis can still make the cut in the rotation, it speaks volumes to the trust that he's earned in such a short time.
As Spo pivoted to a new rotation, perhaps his preferred one, against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, Jakucionis managed to be one of four players off the bench to earn minutes. He only logged 14, but it was an encouraging sign that he got the nod over Dru Smith.
Will Kasparas Jakucionis stay in the rotation?
Of course, especially with the way Spo operates, that can generally change from game to game. However, in what was as close to a must-win game as the Heat had played all season long, it was a great sign to see that Spo, in a big moment, was still willing to turn to Jakucionis.
While he may not have the best outing, finishing with just two points on 0-2 shooting from the field, it will be interesting to see if he continues to get the call heading into another big matchup against the Cavs Friday night.
After breaking the five-game losing streak, I wouldn't call the Heat's tilt against the Cavs another must-win game, but it could be incredibly important if they want to have a chance to earn a top 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Miami is not in danger of falling out of the Play-In Tournament (thanks to the tanking Milwaukee Bucks), but this is a team that is clearly on a mission to finish as a 5th or 6th seed in the East. If they want a shot to do that, beating the Cavs for a second straight time on the road would be a big step in that direction.
Riding the Kasparas Jakucionis hype train
And there's reason to believe that Jakucionis could play a big part in that.
Even though he hasn't exactly gotten the national press that he's deserved, he's quietly had a great rookie season. Considering he was a non-lottery selection, Jakucionis has been better than expected so far for the Heat.
In 46 games played this season (starting 11 of them), Jakucionis is averaging six points, three rebounds, and three assists per game on 42 percent shooting from 3-point range. At times, he's been so impressive that there has been a call to insert him in the starting 5 full-time.
That doesn't speak to the fan base being down on Davion Mitchell, but it does reveal just how much potential he clearly has.
Another impressive part of his rookie season is the level of trust that Spo has placed in him. Even though he has had some rough outings, Jakucionis has consistently gotten a fair share of minutes this season.
Some of that was out of necessity, especially when the Heat were struggling with injuries. Nevertheless, the fact that he continues to get minutes even now that the Heat are healthy speaks volumes.
And over the course of the final push for the playoffs, that is only going to be further supported if he continues to get his number called.
If Spo truly trusts Jakucionis, it's going to become impossible to deny down the stretch.