Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. proving 4-year college players can impact NBA immediately: 'He had a different kind of path that we respect'

SALT LAKE CITY — The Miami Heat, coming off a run to the NBA Finals last season, are one of the top-tier teams in the Eastern Conference again this season at 19-13. Despite falling short in their final game of 2023 to the Utah Jazz on the road 117-109, Miami's roster is full of veteran star power with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro.

The biggest surprise for the Heat this season has been Jaime Jaquez Jr., a rookie out of UCLA. Prior to the loss to the Jazz, Jaquez averaged 22.3 points the previous three games and has seen his minutes and offensive touches increase since mid-December.

“He understands the way we want to play,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said before the game. “As he’s trying to figure things out and learn the tendencies of the league, a defensive system, some of these things are new to him, but from a competitive spirit standpoint, he fits very seamlessly with how we do things.”

Jaquez, 22, played four years at UCLA before being selected No. 18 in the 2023 NBA Draft. He was the first college senior taken off the board. Three other four-year players followed in the first round: Houston's Marcus Sasser at No. 25 to the Detroit Pistons, Belmont's Ben Sheppard at No. 26 to the Indiana Pacers and Missouri's Kobe Brown at No. 30 to the Los Angeles Clippers.

“It helped [playing all four years] just learning how to win, learning to play the right way,” Jaquez told Yahoo Sports. “Something I learned under coach [Mick] Cronin is the little games within the game and what it takes to win and knowing when to make the right play and things like that. That stuff really translates when you’re coming into an organization that’s looking to win right away.”

In a draft that widely valued youth and upside (the first 13 picks were all one-and-done prospects), the Heat drafted an experienced player who brought immediate versatility and is looking like the steal of the draft with how impactful he's been in the first few months of the season.

“There were stages to his career at UCLA over four years,” Spoelstra said. “In this current NBA society, nobody really wants that. Right now, if you’re not a No. 1 option as a freshman and you’re a five-star recruit, you’re either transferring or you’re declaring. You’re not really developing any kind of grit or learning a role or embracing a role the way Jaime did. He had a different kind of path that we respect.”

During his time at UCLA, his role increased each season and he was asked to wear many different hats, offensively and defensively, and play on and off the ball. By the time he was a senior, UCLA was running a lot of the offense through Jaquez and he finished his career as a Bruin averaging 17.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game and felt prepared for the NBA.

Cronin knew Jaquez would be an instant-impact player in his first NBA season with how well he improved and developed his game over his four years at UCLA.

“I’m not surprised,” Cronin said of Jaquez’s early impact with the Heat. “I tried to give him confidence [coming into the league] and I told him because he waited and he let his game evolve and get ready, he’s unlike any other rookie. He was ready to play from Day 1.”

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is to just keep playing confidently. That’s your biggest weapon here in the NBA is confidence and when you have a team that constantly gives that to you, it makes it a lot easier to go out there and play and trust in yourself,” Jaquez said.

Spoelstra watched a lot of film on Jaquez ahead of the draft last June and saw how easily he could come in and add to a group that’s already one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

“I didn’t want to come in with any preconceived ideas, I just wanted to be open,” Spoelstra said. “Obviously after spending time with him over the summer, you could see that he had a different level of experience and moxie to him. That’s to be expected when you play four years of high-level college basketball and a lot of tournament games where he was depended on to play well in order to win. Those are really good lessons to learn and I think that translates to this league and in particular, it translates to us.”

His big moment came Christmas night in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Ahead of the playoffs, Christmas Day games are one of the biggest stages during the regular season. Any rookie would walk into a big game like that with nerves.

“I was just excited,” Jaquez said with a smile. “My family got to come, it was a great atmosphere and my first Christmas Day game. I remember watching them a lot as a kid so to be able to play in a game like that is an honor.”

Jaquez shined under pressure and finished with a season-high 31 points (11-for-15 from the field), 10 rebounds and two steals in 39 minutes. The Heat also got the win at home, extending Spoelstra's Christmas Day record to a perfect 9-0. Jaquez was the first Heat rookie to start a Christmas Day game and was the first Heat rookie since 1989 to have at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a game.

“I just tried to take it as any other game,” Jaquez said. “I'm not trying to put too much extra pressure on anything. I always ask, ‘What is pressure?’ I’m going to miss or make the shot with or without pressure if my form is right and I get to my spots so that's the way I think about it. Pressure is something you create for yourself.”

It's clear the Heat scored big in the draft with Jaquez. Historically speaking, teams value drafting a younger player with upside they can mold within their system over taking an older, experience player like Jaquez. He could be turning the tide with how well he's played in his first season.

“I kind of focus and do my own path and everyone has their own way to this league,” Jaquez said. “Mine just happened to take a little bit longer than some others and that’s fine.”

The Heat travel to Los Angeles, not far from Jaquez hometown of Camarillo, California, for a pair of games against the Clippers (Monday) and Lakers (Wednesday). His family and friends will be in town to see him play, something he's really looking forward to. With every challenge and hurdle Jaquez has met this season, even with early success and big games, he's kept his one goal in mind: win a championship.

“As a rookie my teammates always tell me, ‘You inherit the team before you,’ and they were in the Finals last year and their job is to try and get back,” Jaquez said. “So I’m inheriting that and trying to push and do whatever I can to help stay on top and try to make it back to the Finals and win.”