Turns out Jaime Jaquez Jr., the Heat's steal of the draft, was always overlooked

The Miami Heat have had a spectacular history in recent years of finding and developing young talent. Whether it is taking advantage of steals in the draft or bringing in undrafted pieces, the Heat scouting department is top tier. Without having a top ten selection in recent drafts, they have hit on all of Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr.. 

Newly drafted 7-foot big man Kel’el Ware could be the next gem on this list. Jaquez was a pick that surprised a lot of people, including fans and rival teams. He wasn’t a name that was reported to be heavily recruited by many.

However, as the 18th pick of last year’s draft, Jaquez would go on to earn All-Rookie first team honors in his first season. He averaged 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals on 49/32/81 shooting splits across a team-high 75 games played. The young forward proved to be someone that can be relied upon to be available amongst an injury riddled roster.

Recently, Jaquez’s former high school coach, DeAnthony Langston, spoke on how he was surprised that the rising Heat player fell so low in the draft. 

"A lot of people didn't recruit Jaime for whatever reason, and I thought they were nuts. He gave you whatever and played hard. Every player he went up against, he was just incredible. I just didn't understand how he wasn't recruited by every college program. "

- DeAnthony Langston

It was clear right out of the gate a season ago that this wasn’t an ordinary rookie. Being 23 years old in his first season, he had a polished offensive skill set and there was no time wasted in showing it off under coach Erik Spoelstra, and Jaquez solidified a regular rotation spot early on.

The footwork with the ball in his hands, decision making and IQ was elite right out of the gate for someone playing their first NBA season. Jaquez was a rookie stuck in a veteran's body, with Jimmy Butler even mentioning it took years for him to learn similar offensive footwork. 

During Miami’s Christmas Day victory against the Philadelphia 76ers, Jaquez displayed his abilities on a national stage. He dropped a career-high 31 points and 10 rebounds, leading the way to a win without the services of Butler. It was then that fanbases around the league started to realize he was legit.

A hamstring injury ultimately slowed down Jaquez’s strong start to the season after missing seven consecutive games. But the crafty first-year wing was able to work his way back into a groove and provide strong performances by the postseason. He found himself as the starting small forward during the Heat’s play-in win against the Chicago Bulls, and the first round series against the Boston Celtics. 

Jaquez recorded 21 points, six rebounds and six assists on efficient shooting to punch Miami a ticket to their fifth consecutive playoffs. There is some clear versatility in his all-around game, and he has a strong work ethic to keep improving. He recently has been aiming to improve his 3-point shot over this offseason. 

The intangibles are already there for Jaquez, and the sky's the limit for the type of player he can evolve in at such a young age. Miami indeed found the “steal of the draft” once again.