'It's not like he's a rookie': Miami Heat's Jaime Jaquez Jr. outplaying draft status

The Miami Heat used one of the highest-scoring fourth quarters in franchise history Thursday night to beat the Indiana Pacers 142-132 and snap a three-game losing streak. As a team, Miami outscored Indiana 45-32 in the final frame to seal their 11th win of the season and keep pace in the Eastern Conference.

Jimmy Butler led the way with 36 points, but it was rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. who stepped up in a big way in the final quarter. He scored 14 of his season-high 24 points to power the Heat to victory.

It's the latest in a string of impressive performances for the Heat's 18th overall pick from the 2023 NBA Draft. Though he was drafted outside of the lottery, Jaquez Jr. has already been one of the best rookies this season.

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How Jaime Jaquez Jr. compares to Wembanyama, other top NBA rookies

This year's draft process was dominated by phenom Victor Wembanyama. As soon as the San Antonio Spurs won the draft lottery, the generational NBA prospect was a lock for the top pick.

It wasn't just Wembanyama, though. The 2023 NBA Draft class included other highly-touted prospects like Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson. The Wembanyama, Miller, and Henderson trio heard their names called first on draft night.

It took until the 18th pick for Jaquez Jr.'s name to get called by the Miami Heat. The UCLA standout won 2022-23 Pac-12 Player of the Year honors as a senior and scouts pointed to his defensive prowess and rebounding as ways he'd have an impact as a rookie despite being taken later in the draft.

He's certainly outplayed those expectations.

Jaquez Jr.'s the only Heat player to appear in every game this season. He's primarily come off the bench but averages 12 points per game, fifth-most on the team. Among all rookies he's fifth in points per game behind Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Miller, and Jordan Hawkins, all of whom were drafted before him.

Even advanced stats show Jaquez Jr. is one of the top rookies this season. He's fifth in ESPN's PER (Player Efficiency Rating), second in estimated wins added (1.0), and second in value added among rookies. The Heat's top two lineups by offensive rating - with a minimum of 10 minutes played together - include Jacquez Jr.

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In isolation or in team context, Jacquez Jr. is outplaying his draft position. Butler, a late-first round pick himself, is impressed with the UCLA product's play already.

"I picked that type of stuff up when I was 28, 29 so he has so much room to get better," Butler said after the win over Indiana. "He's so confident, always working on his game and he wants to make the right play every time. It's not like he's a rookie. He knows what it takes to win."

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How Jaime Jaquez Jr. compares to recent 18th overall NBA Draft picks

Over the last decade, most players drafted 18th overall have not been instant contributors. Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Tre Mann - drafted 18th in 2021 - was an exception as a rookie with 10.4 points and 22.8 minutes per game. Same with former Houston Rockets forward Sam Dekker, who played 18.4 minutes per game but averaged 6.5 points.

Jaquez Jr.'s already an exception in the first 19 games of the season. He's ahead of both Mann and Dekker in those metrics and on pace to be the best 18th overall pick of the last decade.

His rookie season alone is on pace to be better than any season of players drafted 18th in the last decade by points and minutes per game.

The 2023 NBA Draft was rightfully all about high-profile prospects like Wembanyama, Henderson, and Miller. But the Heat have found a steal already in Jacquez Jr. considering where they chose him.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Miami Heat's Jaime Jaquez Jr. stands out among NBA rookies