The Miami Heat made waves at the start of the season with their newfound offensive scheme, largely forgoing screen actions for ball movement off of drives while ramping up their pace of play. It's been up and down at times, but they currently sit 13th leaguewide in offensive rating, which would put them in the upper half of the league for the first time since 2021-22.
No player benefited more from the change than Jaime Jaquez Jr. After a sophomore season that saw his role diminish and his long-term future with the team grow cloudy, Jaquez has morphed into a bona fide Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
His fit within how the Heat want to play has everything to do with why.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. has found his niche
Jaquez's game is a hand-in-glove fit with Miami's offensive scheme. Jaquez doesn't need a screen to create an advantage for himself; oftentimes, he doesn't even need a head of steam. His poise and physicality as a driver, combined with fantastic footwork and touch, make him one of the league's deadlier one-on-one threats in the short midrange.
According to stat site Cleaning the Glass, Jaquez is taking 42% of his shots from 4 to 14 feet from the basket, up from just 29% last season and good for the 100th percentile for forwards leaguewide. He's shooting a respectable 46% on those looks, but that doesn't tell the full story.
Bball Index has a metric called Self-Created Shot Making Efficiency, which takes shot difficulty into account to try to determine the most effective shot creators; this year, Jaquez ranks in the 98th percentile.
It's clear that Jaquez's off-the-dribble game has blossomed. A career-high 64% of his midrange shots have been unassisted this season, per CTG, but there are other ways to measure how Jaquez has found success. According to tracking data from nba.com/stats, 35.4% of Jaquez's shot attempts this season have come after 3-6 dribbles, with another 18.6% coming after seven or more.
Last season, those numbers were at 28.6% and 16%, respectively. In short, Jaquez has been getting to his spots more than ever, and he's getting there himself.
A bench role suits him well
Jaquez is averaging 15.2 points per game this season, nearly double his average from a year ago. He's also hit career-highs in minutes per game, assists per game, and usage rate despite only starting in one game this year. He's been tasked with uplifting the second unit, and he's delivered.
Without screens, Miami's offense relies on bending defenses with ball and player movement around drives, forcing help and making them pay with the pass. Because Jaquez has such a potent one-on-one game going downhill, he naturally forces extra eyes on him, much more than any other consistent Heat reserve (Tyler Herro and Norman Powell, who have seen short stints off the bench, notwithstanding).
That opens up advantages for the entire team, and it explains how he can average 4.7 assists per game after never topping 2.5 in a season before.
Jaquez is a key cog in the Heat's offensive machine, able to generate open 3s and weakside drives by pulling second defenders in. He can also conduct the offense in transition as a passer and finisher, and he's developed some real touch on lobs to Kel'el Ware.
By centering the second unit around Jaquez, the Heat have simultaneously gotten the most out of him as a scorer and generated good team offense from his skills. (A quiet bonus: Jaquez's turnover rate hasn't increased with his added responsibilities.)
A sixth man season to remember
Jaquez has enjoyed the best offensive season of his career despite remaining a non-threat from three-point range. It's a testament to his skill set and IQ, but it also speaks to how well his game works within the context of his team. Miami's coaching staff also deserves credit for understanding how he could help the Heat and leaning into him accordingly.
His play has rightfully placed him in the thick of the Sixth Man of the Year conversation. San Antonio's Keldon Johnson is currently the favorite, but this should really be considered a two-man race. It's hard to find another player across the league who has contributed to his team's success while producing so much himself off the bench this season.
Regardless of whether he wins or not, this season should live fondly in Heat fans' memories for a long time.
Looking forward, Jaquez is extension eligible this summer, and with the way he played this season, it would be stunning to see Miami not extend him, barring a larger trade. As he enters what should be his prime in the next few years, it's exciting to think about the heights he could hit in this system.
If the Heat intend on keeping their offense into the future with an influx of high-end talent, they know they have as sure a thing at sixth man as any team could hope for.