UCLA Men's Basketball: GMs Believe Rookie Ex-Bruin Could Be Among Top Draft Steals

As this year's NBA Draft got closer, it seemed that former Bruins forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. started to shoot up draft boards. He put together a strong combine for teams, and there was a ton of buzz about him going in the first round.

He ended up going 18th overall to the Miami Heat, and many believe it was a great pickup for Miami. Jaquez Jr. was great during his days at UCLA and now gets a chance to live out his dream of playing in the NBA.

In the annual NBA General Manager survey, they were asked which rookies around the league could end up being the steal of the draft. Jaquez Jr. came in tied for second place with a few other players, sitting at 10 percent of the vote.

He ended up being tied with Scoot Henderson, who was the third overall pick, from the Portland Trail Blazers, and Keyonte George, the 16th overall pick, from the Utah Jazz.

This is a high praise for the former Bruin, as he should see a good amount of minutes this season. He has the skill set to really show out, and he may have landed with the perfect team.

Jaquez Jr. going to Miami allows him a chance to learn from one of the best coaches in the game today, Erik Spoelstra, and he can play with a team that has been successful in recent years. His work ethic should translate well to the culture down in Miami, and they are lucky to have him.

The biggest part of his game that he will need to work on is his three-point shooting. If he can become a consistent scorer from beyond the arch, it would maximize his game that much more.

The Heat are coming off a spot in the NBA Finals, and maybe Jaquez Jr. can be one of the pieces to help them get over the hump. He seems up to the challenge, and UCLA Bruins fans will be cheering him on all season long.

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