Jaime Jaquez Jr. may be the only rookie on the Heat, he is not the youngest on the team. With two and one season in the NBA respectively, Justin Champagnie and Nikola Jovic are more experienced than him, while being a little younger than the player drafted in June at 18th position.
The explanation is simple. Before registering for the Draft, the 22-year-old completed a full university course at UCLA, finishing with 13 points and 6 rebounds on average.
“ He’s not a young player, experience-wise. And I think all the experience he got in college is important. Being by our side these last eight weeks has really mattered “, already appreciates his coach, Erik Spoelstra.
For his part, the “veteran” rookie learns from Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love and Kyle Lowry, all three over 30 years old, including more than a decade spent in the Big League.
“ That’s great. When you find yourself in a situation like that, with older players leading the way, it’s a lot easier for someone like me to not just listen, but observe. You watch these guys and the way they do it, and you try to do the same thing “, describes the California native.
Integrated into the rotation?
The latter did not have much opportunity to implement the advice received. The rookie suffered a non-contact groin injury on a dunk shortly after resuming practice with the Heat, which deprived him of his team’s final three preseason games, including the last outing against Spurs.
Before this tile, the winger still had the opportunity to display his qualities, during a first meeting against the Hornets. Showing his confidence with the ball in hand and in his decision-making, he finished the match with 13 points (5/8 on shots), 7 rebounds and 2 assists.
Enough to convince Erik Spoelstra to integrate him into his rotation from the start of the regular season? While waiting to find out, Jaime Jaquez Jr. is cleaning up. “ I feel like I have absorbed a lot of information and made a lot of progress. And I think I played well when I had the opportunity to do so. When the season starts I’ll be ready “, he assures.
