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Jaime Jaquez Jr. earns Heat’s first NBA Rookie of Month nod since Kendrick Nunn in 2020

ira winderman, south florida sun-sentinel
·4 min read

MIAMI — Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s emergence as a key component of the Miami Heat’s rotation has been duly noted, with the NBA on Monday naming the No. 18 pick out of UCLA as Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November.

Jaquez becomes the first Heat rookie so honored since Kendrick Nunn in January 2020, the third consecutive month to open that season that Nunn took the award.

The only other Heat players named Rookie of the Month over the franchise’s 36 seasons were Caron Butler four times in 2002-03, Michael Beasley in April 2009 and Josh Richardson in March 2016.

The list of Heat rookies who have failed to win the honor include Dwyane Wade (with LeBron James entering the same year), Glen Rice, Steve Smith and Rony Seikaly.

Jaquez is positioned to become the first Heat player voted All-Rookie since Nunn was named first team in 2020 and Tyler Herro was named second team that season.

Only six Heat players have been named first-team All-Rookie: Sherman Douglas (1990), Smith (1992), Butler (2003), Wade (2004), Beasley (2009) and Nunn (2020). Of those six, only Wade was a unanimous first-team selection.

The Heat have never had an NBA Rookie of the Year.

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Jaquez has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games, and in 12 of his last 13. The last two Heat rookies to score in double figures in at least seven consecutive games were Herro and Nunn.

Over the last seven games, Jaquez is averaging 17.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.29 steals while shooting .558 percent from the field and .522 on 3-pointers. Additionally, he has played 170.9 fourth quarter minutes this season, the fifth highest total among all players.

Jaquez stands fifth among NBA rookies in scoring (12.0), second in steals (1.1), eighth in assists (2.6), eighth, eighth in rebounding (3.9), 10th in field-goal percentage (.525), 13th in 3-point percentage (.393), as well as fourth in total points (239), fourth in total assists (51), fifth in total minutes (534) and sixth in total rebounds (77).

From the outset, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has pointed to the poise of the 22-year-old four-year collegian.

“That’s what it is, it’s experience, it’s poise, it’s reading what’s necessary for that possession,” Spoelstra said. “I think a lot of young players, they’re paint-by-numbers. They’re thinking either, ‘I’m just going to get to my spot, shoot,’ or they’re trying to do whatever the game plan may be, and not reading what’s happening.

“He has a poise about him that he can be aggressive and then also read the defense. I think that’s just borne out of a lot of experience.”

That Jaquez has emerged as much as a shooter as a scorer has been somewhat of a revelation.

“His work ethic is going to lend itself to improvement,” Spoelstra said. “Most every player when they come into the league, if you really work at it, for some it takes longer, but you tend to become better shooting the basketball. You just have a lot more time to work on it.

“He spent a lot of time this summer with our staff. There was nothing broken about his shot. He just had a couple of things to refine.”

The Heat are in the midst of a three-day break, before turning to the court Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.

Oklahoma City forward Chet Holmgren was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month. The No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, Holmgren sat out last season with a foot injury. Among those he beat out for the West honor was San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama, the 2023 No. 1 pick out of France.

Other nominees for the East’s monthly rookie honor were the Charlotte Hornets’ Brandon Miller, Cleveland Cavaliers’ Craig Porter Jr. and Detroit Pistons’ Ausar Thompson.

Other nominees for the West’s monthly rookie honor were the New Orleans Pelicans’ Jordan Hawkins, Dallas Mavericks’ Dereck Lively and Wembanyama.