Jaime Jaquez Jr. was a Sixth Man of the Year Favorite early in the season according to Play Prophet. How is it going for the Miami Heat guard two months after? His coach Erik Spoelstra thinks he is capable of winning it.
The 2023 18th overall pick had a great freshman year when he got named to the All Rookie First Team but then his second year was not that great as his scoring went down from 11.9 to 8.6. He also played fewer games from 75 to 66.
He is back with a chip on his shoulder and is making the most out of his time, even if he still stars from the bench on his third year. He doubled his average from last season and they are winning games.
Spoelstra described him as an important man both on their offense and defense. Therefore, he is deserving of the Sixth Man of the Year award.
“I would love to see him get that award, and I think he’s deserving of it,” Spoelstra said after their win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.
“He just has to continue to play at this level. He’s impacting winning for us. So I think that’s the most important thing. I think him having an opportunity to win that award doesn’t take away anything from our team. It only adds to what we’re trying to do. But he’s been really important to our game. Both ends of the court.”
Miami Heat only has one 6MOY
Even Jaque’z teammate Norman Powell thinks he is capable of winning it.
“I like the fact that Jaime is trying to play the right way,” Powell said.
“He’s not trying to overdo it. He’s getting to his spots, and we’re living with those shots he’s shooting.”
It’s still early but in case he wins it, Jaquez Jr. will only be the second heat to win the award. The first one to do it was Tyler Herro who won it in 2022, also his third year as a pro. Herro is now a legit starter and became an All-Star in 2025.
The latest 6MOY ranking has Jaquez Jr. in third place behind Keldon Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs and Ajay Mitchell of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both players average fewer points compared to the Heat player.
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