Heat in 5: Duncan Robinson, the driver, Jimmy's back, and much more
By António Dias
2️⃣ Jaime's spots
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is the Heat's worst kept secret. The rookie has been on a tear, especially with more offensive responsibilities now that Tyler's injured and has stepped up incredibly. He was Miami's fourth best scorer in the past week, has been shooting the ball better and played every second of the last four fourth quarters. Erik Spoelstra shows immense confidence in him and he is reciprocating in a big way.
Jaquez shows his maturity every time he touches the ball, never rushing his actions and always looking for the best option. See in the first clip how he comes off the pick and roll, prepared for Capela, retreats a bit and then attacks him 1 on 1. Takes away Young's help with a fake pass, checks Capela's defense with the shot fake and then goes up when he knows he has the space.
The second clip is something you don't usually see in a rookie. Heat in semi-transition and Jaquez has Murray on him. So, he instinctively wins his position and gets Dejounte on his back, giving a great passing option to Highsmith, who puts him in great position to simply go up.
The third play has the Hornets in a zone. Jaquez goes for the pick and roll and notices the defense is not paying attention to him, so he chooses his spot in the middle and never panics, waiting for the ball. Gives Highsmith a great option again and takes an easy jumper.
Last clip has Duncan Robinson driving. Most young players would choose the safe option of getting back out to the perimeter, but not Jaime. He sees the Nets defender ball-watching and waits behind them, before attacking the ball at the right time for an easy layup.