There was a point this season when Jaime Jaquez Jr. was emerging as a true candidate to win the NBA's Most Improved Player of the Year award. While he's tailed off some of late, he's quickly emerging (once again) as a hidden key to the Miami Heat's hopes of locking up a top 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.
With the dynamic between Tyler Herro and Norman Powell still a bit unsettled, and with Andrew Wiggins still sidelined with a toe injury, the Heat need Jaquez Jr. to step up more than ever.
Even more so as the Heat prepare for a brutal part of their schedule down the stretch.
Heat thrive with Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s versatility
As an important piece off the bench, Jaquez Jr. could be a huge difference-maker down the stretch. It's not just necessarily his scoring punch either. It's also Jaquez Jr.'s ability to emerge as a primary playmaker, too.
Even though he's not necessarily a lockdown defender, his size does offer some much-needed flexibility on that floor as the Heat continue to lean into positionless lineups.
When Jaquez Jr. is able to put it all together for the Heat, he helps the team become that much more dangerous. And over the last few weeks, it does seem as if Jaquez Jr. is finally breaking through a wall that he had hit just before the NBA All-Star break.
Over his last nine games played, Jaquez Jr. is averaging 16 points, five assists, and four rebounds per game on 48 percent shooting from the field. Perhaps most impressively, his 3-point shooting has seen a nice improvement over that stretch, too, shooting the three-ball at a 37 percent clip.
The Heat are better when Jaime Jaquez Jr. is right
In those games, the Heat are 9-2. That's not just a mere coincidence.
When Jaquez Jr. is playing at a high level, the Heat are better for it. If he can continue to keep his momentum going, there's no reason to think that he can't be a piece that helps put this team over the top when it comes to finally breaking out of their Play-In Tournament mediocrity.
The Heat need someone not named Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, or Norman Powell to step up in a big way if they're going to secure a top 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. And there's a logical reason to believe that Jaquez Jr. could be the one player who can.