Erik Spoelstra, coach of the Miami Heat, talks about Kyle Lowry’s impact in the opening game against the Celtics. Miami Heat Maven Miami — After Monday night’s Christmas victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, head coach Erik Spoelstra compared rookie guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. to Jimmy Butler, pointing out that he doesn’t require play calls or even to dominate the ball in order to succeed. “When you say something like that about Jimmy, it’s very similar,” Spoelstra said. “You wouldn’t do this with Jimmy, but if you challenged him to do that, he could literally play the entire game without the ball and figure out how to get 20 points without play calls.” Jaquez grinned when told about the comparison following his performance of 31 points and 10 rebounds. However, in yet another display of his love for the game, the No. 18 pick in the NBA draft last June responded with a more cryptic allusion. In reference to his former UCLA teammate, Jaquez said, “I think going back to college, I did have the ball in my hands a lot, but I also played with a great point guard in Tyger Campbell, who was able to find me a lot of times, cutting and moving off the ball.” Similar to Tyger Campbell, who was not selected but is currently a player in Saint-Quentin, Aisne, the top league in France. Jaquez explained, “Playing with a guy like that really helps you become really great off the ball.” You simply look for locations where your point guard can locate you. That alludes to the core of what the Heat have in Jaquez: a humble and humble player who is grateful for both current teammates like Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love, whom he is eager to give credit to for his unexpected rookie breakthrough, and for a former college teammate who was not selected. Jaquez said, “Now that we’re playing with Kyle, he always finds me.” “K-Love, fantastic stores. It’s much easier for me to play with a great group of guys who can locate you. Thus, it becomes simpler for the Heat to get shots for Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Butler. “You can sense that he has a level of experience that goes beyond his age,” Spoelstra said. “He has a moxie to him.” However, he produces winning plays.In this game, I estimated that he scored about 21 points. Given how much he does without the ball in his hands, I didn’t think he had that kind of game. Literally, I don’t think I called a single play for him. That has made it possible for the Heat to succeed, even with Butler out due to a calf strain during this recent stretch. According to Herro, “He does all the little things—rebounding, defending, cutting, and making extra passes.” Of course, scoring is just one more element to his skill set. However, I believe that his ability to perform all the little things and intangibles as a rookie truly stands out. “Just the way he finds holes in the defense to either make a play for someone else or make a play for himself, he’s really incredible.” The Heat have found a balance with Jaquez in the lineup, and they are now six games over.500 for the first time this season after eight straight victories. Adebayo exclaimed, “Man, I mean, he’s doing everything without forcing it.” “He is engaging in self-play. He isn’t executing any poor plays. He’s enjoying himself while playing hoops. At the moment, he is actually reading the game. basically acting like he’s twenty-two going on thirty. Jaquez remarked, “I just try to find where I can fit in.” And frequently, that involves cutting and spacing. Being the league’s best spacing team is something we discuss frequently during practices. It’s really enjoyable to play with guys who can do that, just by itself. I’m eager to see where we end up. Spoelstra views Jaquez as a case study and a challenge to the AAU’s culture of using score as the only determinant of success. According to Spoelstra, “it probably ought to be a part of the NBA initiation.” “They ought to discuss it and say, ‘This is how you win basketball.'” There is a discrepancy between what is available and what truly succeeds, so let me explain what AAU basketball is—a sport that doesn’t always win—and provide examples of what that actually looks like.And it’s difficult for young players because there’s so much more to this game that they aren’t learning, and all they’re evaluated on is your ability to score points in the basket, which is the last column on the box score. © 2023 Sun-Sentinel of South Florida. Please go to sun-sentinel.com. Tribune Content Agency, LLC is the distributor.
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