How Jaime Jaquez Jr Fits the Aging Miami Heat
With the caveat that we can't really use Summer League to make any meaningful projection, it's still worth remembering how much of a pro Jaime Jaquez Jr looked in his ... 38 minutes of floor time.
Okay, well. Regardless of whether he played 38 or 380, Jaquez has all the skills to make a good, useful NBA player, even if he doesn't have top-tier star upside.
What Jaquez does is routinely just solid. At 6-foot-7, he'll initiate the offense, keep his dribble alive, make quality reads, shoot without hesitation, and help out on the glass. Nothing about his game ever screams star, and as a basketball community we've grown too used to seek that out, as opposed to just looking at players who do a ton of the smaller stuff.
Jaquez does the smaller-scale stuff. He's your Harrison Barnes instead of Domantas Sabonis. Your Tobias Harris instead of Joel Embiid. He's the guy next to the guy we all want to talk about, and that's led him to flying under the radar for a while.
For him to land in Miami on draft night might have been the best thing that could have ever happened to his NBA career. His conditioning will be top-shelf material from here on out. The organization values high-feel players with a diverse set of skills, and they consistently give players a chance to prove themselves, regardless of their background.
Now, that last part might not apply to Jaquez, who attended UCLA for four years, but it's fair to note that head coach Erik Spoelstra isn't going to keep him nailed to the bench because he's a rookie, or a late first-round pick. If he practices well, he's getting a chance. It's the Miami way.
For the Heat, Jaquez offers a flexible wing, who can play both forward positions. This has been a need of theirs for a while. Miami has too often relied upon the playmaking of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, and used their found pieces - like Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin - as play finishers.
Now, they have a guy who can both create plays, as well as finish them, who is just 22 years old, and can weave himself into multiple lineups. Now, instead of letting the aging Butler do most of the work, Butler can hand the ball off, and set up shop elsewhere off-ball.
The free-flowing versatility offered by Jaquez, who netted 17.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists last season, fills a surprisingly big need.
But of course, this is the NBA. So whether Jaquez stays a Miami Heat for long is anyone's guess. If the Portland Trail Blazers suddenly decide to entertain Miami's underwhelming offer for Damian Lillard, odds are strong Jaquez is headed to Portland, as the Blazers will ask for any asset under the sun, which includes the former Bruin.
If so, he'll provide much the same for the Blazers as he would the Heat, and therein lies the value. Whatever the roster, and whatever the system, versatile multi-skill players will always carve out a role.
Jaquez fits that description, and it's why a long NBA career could be in the cards.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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