Jaime Jaquez Jr. had a strong rookie season before taking a step back in Year 2. Now, his future with the Miami Heat is in question.
The 2023 first-round pick’s shooting regressed during a season derailed by injuries, stomach illnesses, and a roster shakeup that left him outside of coach Erik Spoelstra’s rotation.
“Sometimes you need that in your life to get humbled to propel you forward,” Jaquez said.
“Excited for this offseason.”
Was this season just a speed bump for Jaquez?
After being named to the All-Rookie first team last season, Jaquez was a candidate to start in his second season. An ankle injury sidelined him for the start of the preseason and a stomach illness in the first month of the season left him less than 100% physically.*
Jaquez went from averaging 11.9 points as a rookie to 8.6 in his second year while his shooting percentages dropped. He spent most of the final month of the season racking up DNP-CDs and averaged just 20.7 minutes per game (down from 28.2).
In the end, Jaquez couldn’t get on the floor over rookie second-round pick Pelle Larsson in Miami’s first-round playoff loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played fewer than 20 minutes in the first round, all of which came in garbage time of three blowout losses.
Now the Heat have to wonder whether Jaquez’s rookie year was a momentary flash or a true sign of his potential interrupted by a second-year speed bump.
“Clearly, he has to work on some things, which he will,” Spoelstra said. “He will work on defending in open space, defending situationally in our system. Outside shooting will be key again.”
Jaquez’s 3-point shooting slipped from 32.2% as a rookie to 31.1% despite the work put into his shot behind the scenes. (The slippage includes a troubling 26% from the corners, where he shot 32% as a rookie.)
Jaquez and the Heat know that his outside shot is his greatest swing skill. If he starts making open jumpers consistently, then the rest of his game will flourish, especially as defenses key in on the physical drives that surprised opponents during his rookie season. This season, all of that was in the scouting report.
“They would crowd the paint a lot more, maybe sometimes send two or sag off me on pick and rolls,” Jaquez said.
When it comes to improving his 3-point shooting, Jaquez said it’s “a lot of repetition, mental work, understanding where I need to put my hand on the ball. Just reps, staying in the gym, living in the gym.”
Whether Jaquez will get to do that work in Miami remains to be seen. It’s no secret that the Heat aim to acquire a star this summer, and Jaquez could end up being included in a trade package if another team believes it can get the most out of him.
But if Jaquez is still on the roster in training camp, one of the Heat’s top priorities will be to get him back on track after a disappointing second season.
*Another telling stat: Jaquez had just 12 dunks last season, compared to 29 as a rookie, indicating that he wasn’t at his best physically.