The Miami Heat are experienced in player development. As good as they are at it, they may even be more adept at spotting athletes who are a perfect fit for their culture. Even though the 2023–24 NBA season is just about three months old, there’s no mistaking that this past summer’s selection of UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. was a huge success. He was remarkably selected with the No. 18 choice, not through the lottery.
Consider Christmas Day. In a nationally broadcast game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Jaquez Jr. was started in Jimmy Butler’s place because of an injury.
Jaquez Jr. carried the team to victory with 31 points (11 of 15 from the floor) and 10 rebounds, setting a new career high. In addition, Jaquez Jr. had two steals and made 8 of 8 free throw attempts. As mentioned earlier, he made history by becoming only one of five rookies to score 30 points or more on Christmas Day. Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Walt Bellamy, and Patrick Ewing are the others. Now that’s some serious business.
Jaquez Jr. used a variety of maneuvers that took us back to his undergraduate days at Westwood, as you can see in the video above. He achieved success in every way imaginable. His footwork remains stable despite his wide range of abilities. His ability to pump fake, get away from defenders, and score in traffic has already made him one of the best players in the NBA at such a young age. Jaquez Jr. possesses the footwork of a guy who has played in the position for ten years. He is far more explosive than most people think when it comes to his quickness off the floor, especially whether he’s securing rebounds or finishing in the paint (until they play him, of course). His game also has a sense of serenity. When it comes to knowing how to attack the opposition, Jaquez Jr. is clinical. He doesn’t appear hurried, andIt is obvious that Jaquez Jr. deserves a great deal of credit for developing into one of the NBA’s top rookies. He was a grinder when he attended Ventura County’s Camarillo High School. This work ethic was a perfect fit for Mick Cronin’s play philosophy at UCLA. Jaquez Jr. was frequently referred to as Cronin’s spirit animal, a match made in heaven. That kind of player, you know, who embodied everything head coach Cronin stood for. Essentially, the closest representation of a head coach on the field. Jaquez Jr. is currently playing a similar position in the NBA, although this time he has the ideal team that is focused on helping him reach his full potential. As he keeps getting better.
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