Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. adjusting from being under the radar to under the spotlight
To Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., life was so much easier when everything he did was unscouted, unexpected and under the radar.
HOUSTON — To Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., life was so much easier when everything he did was unscouted, unexpected and under the radar.
For the first two months of the season, last June’s No. 18 pick out of UCLA rode the element of surprise to selections as Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month.
He hasn’t won again since.
Where the 3-pointers and slot cuts were catching the opposition off guard, they now are as much part of the opposing scouting report as Jimmy Butler’s pump fakes or Bam Adebayo’s mid-range jumpers.
To Jaquez, who went from underappreciated first-round pick last June to the next big thing produced by the Heat’s scouting department, it all has been taken as a sign of respect.
“Yeah. I think so,” he said, with the Heat turning their attention from Thursday night’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers to Friday night’s matchup against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. “I think it’s always a great sign of respect when you have other teams scouting you, game planning for what you bring to the game. So I think, yeah, it’s a great sign of respect.”
It’s not that the drop-off has been dramatic, it’s that the consistent rise has plateaued. Jaquez averaged 12.9 points on .492 shooting, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 29.5 minutes per game prior to the All-Star break, and 10.1 points on .373 shooting, 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 26.9 minutes per game since.
From a best of 16.1 points per game in December, when he won that second East Rookie of the Month, there was a drop-off to 10.1 points per game in February and 10.3 in March.
All in all, rookie numbers that still likely exceed expectations, particularly with a team that prioritizes veteran contribution, even with Charlotte’s Brandon Miller taking the last three East Rookie of the Months honors.
Early in the season, the starts were more abundant. Lately, it not only largely has been a reserve role, but also being challenged for playing time by Haywood Highsmith, among others.
But that, Jaquez said, also has been a beneficial part of the process, the learning curve in just about every possible role at just about every position outside of center.
“Yeah. I think so,” he said, with 20 starts and 49 appearances off the bench. “I think we talk a lot about clarity on this team, clarity of what your role is going to be, and how that changes from a night-in and night-out basis.
“And I think the experience that we’ve had throughout this season have really prepared me for what’s coming now, the postseason.”
What the role will or won’t be remains uncertain, particularly with the unknown regarding the status of guard Tyler Herro and the ailing foot that has had him out since Feb. 23. Herro traveled with the team for Friday night’s game against the Rockets.
But Jaquez believes significant strides have already been made, even if not reflected in various rookie honors or rookie ladders by those prognosticating on the All-Rookie teams.
“I kind of just let it be, leave it to the fans and the media to discuss,” he said, almost assuredly to earn All-Rookie first team along with presumptive Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Miller and one other. “My focus is really just here on the team, whether it’s good or bad, try not to pay attention, because what matters is what happens in the locker room, between the lines.
“So I don’t really tend to pay attention to whether the talk is good or bad, I just kind of leave it, leave it be.”
In the end, Jaquez appreciates that the perception of his rookie season well could come down to the postseason, just as it did for his sister, Gabriela Jaquez, whose UCLA team fell in a competitive Sweet 16 game in the NCAA Tournament to LSU, a game Jaime watched while in flight for the Heat’s previous road game.
“It was painful, it was definitely painful, right there,” Jaquez said. “It is what it is. They’ve got a young core group of girls that are all going to be returning back, so just excited for what they can do next year.
“That’s it, it’s always on to the next thing.”