UCLA Basketball: Former Bruin Jaime Jaquez Jr. Gets Rave Reviews from Miami Heat

It's safe to say that former UCLA basketball star Jaime Jaquez Jr. is off to a strong start in his NBA career. Jaquez, who was drafted eighth overall by the Miami Heat last year, has been an integral part of a 39-33 Heat team, even as a rookie.

The former Pac-12 Player of the Year has translated his game to NBA, averaging 12.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He was named to the NBA Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend, where he impressed during the slam dunk contest. He's even begun adding to his trophy case as a pro, winning the Eastern Conference's Rookie of the Month award twice, in November and December.

Jaquez Jr.'s play and rookie season has resulted in rave reviews from his NBA teammates. He's been praised for his confidence and his level of play already. This praise has even come from the team's stars, including three-time NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo and six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler.

“I’ve said it over and over. That dude isn’t a normal rookie," Bam Adebayo said, via The Athletic's William Guillory.

“It’s cool to see because he’s super young. I picked that type of stuff up when I was 28, 29,” Butler said, via Guillory. “He has so much room to get better. He’s so confident. He wants to make the right play every time. It’s not like he’s (playing like) a rookie. He knows what it takes to win.”

The next NBA milestone for Jaquez Jr. will likely be playing in the playoffs. Though the Heat currently hold the seventh seed, meaning they would have to qualify through the play-in tournament, they have a strong shot at advancing especially given their track record come postseason time.