Jaime Jaquez Jr. Fully Embracing Large Role in Rookie Campaign
Behind the shadows cast by Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, there's been another rookie whose production has been eye-opening since the beginning of the season.
Jaime Jaquez Jr., the No. 18 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has seen a greatly impactful role for the Miami Heat so far, already notching two Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors back-to-back even despite being picked outside of the lottery.
He currently sits at No. 3 in the Kia Rookie Ladder, behind both Holmgren and Wembanyama.
As a do-it-all wing, Jaquez's role is derived from his well-rounded ability in all facets. The rookie is averaging 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists on the season, with 50-35-85 shooting splits thus far.
And as of late, he's begun to shift to an even higher gear entering the month of January.
To begin the season, Jaquez's role was impactful, but not quite to the extent of which it is now. Routinely averaging just under 20 minutes per game in his first eight contests in the league, his production was limited – but the upside was certainly still visible.
And in his first 20-point outing in a Nov. 11 win versus the Atlanta Hawks, Jaquez made a breakthrough to increase his play time, as he saw 38 minutes on the night in a game he stuffed the stat sheet fairly well.
As of early January, he's been pinned as the spot starter for an injured Jimmy Butler a total of 10 times throughout the season – though even when Butler has been healthy, Jaquez has still provided a significant boost with several 30-plus minute outings in the second unit.
Looking closer, the Miami rookie has supplanted Butler in the starting lineup four of the last five games.
In those four, the Heat went 3-1, beating the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers and the Golden State Warriors to maintain a top-four spot in the East.
Jaquez saw an average of 38.8 minutes in those four starts – a number Holmgren nor Wembanyama has seen in a single game all season, let alone in a span of four contests.
They were very productive minutes, too, as the 6-foot-6 hybrid forward posted 19.8 points on 54.1% shooting and 4.3 assists in his time in the starting unit.
But in the night Butler returned to the lineup on Dec. 30 before shortly injuring himself again, Jaquez's rhythm was thrown off. He still saw 35 minutes in the eight-point loss to the Utah Jazz, though, but struggled vastly with efficiency relative to his recent production – having nine points on 22.2% shooting.
The rookie's impact isn't necessarily negated while being limited to the bench unit – as seen early in the season – but the role he continues to carve out in Butler's absence could continue to raise questions if Jaquez deserves a permanent starting role, even in his teammate's return.
Regardless, he's still performing at a high level as a rookie, and the confidence he exudes can only allow him to keep progressing.
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