Jaime Jaquez Jr. looked like he was the steal of the 2023 draft. Miami Heat fans thought they got a stud in the UCLA standout who they picked 18th overall. He was eventually honored as part of the NBA All Rookie First Team in 2024.
Problem was he got struck by the proverbial sophomore slump as his numbers dipped from 11.9 points to 8.6 in 2025. He also played fewer games from 75 to 66. His impact was barely felt for the Heat who finished 10th in the Eastern Conference and was swept in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He was DNPd for nine straight games because of the dip in his performance. It must be mentioned though that he dealt with injuries throughout the season.
The Heat still trust him and will be one of the main guys from the bench for head coach Erik Spoelstra who recently revealed that Jaquez Jr. spent the summer figuring out how he can improve.
“He spent time in Miami before the draft, then six weeks in LA,” Spoelstra shared during media day.
“I think that really helped him clear his mind and just get back to the joy of the game. He’s in terrific shape, aggressive, and grinding. It’s just about decision-making and knowing when to do what — and I’ve seen improvement.”
Erik Spoelstra on Jaime Jaquez Jr.:
“He spent time in Miami before the draft, then six weeks in LA. I think that really helped him clear his mind and just get back to the joy of the game. He’s in terrific shape, aggressive, and grinding. It’s just about decision-making and… pic.twitter.com/8x6Gy9fblM
— Heat Diehards (@HeatDiehards) September 30, 2025
What Miami Heat told Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Heat still trust Jaquez Jr. and entering his third year, the coaches made it clear to him what he should focus on to get his groove back.
One specific area he worked to improve over the summer is his 3-point shooting, a role he did well in his rookie year.
“They’re just telling me to get back to my strengths, really focus on my strengths, like I was saying, you know, I kind of got a little too much focus, you know, a little bit on my three,” Jaquez said.
“I put a lot of pressure to become a knockdown three-point shooter. You know, knowing my game, you know, I know I can make threes, but it’s not necessarily my game for my career. So I think mostly just kind of, get back to my game. And, you know, remember what got me to this position.”
Jaquez Jr. is a reserve for now but there’s a chance he might start from time to time at the start of the season due to the injury to star Tyler Herro.
Herro will be out for 8-12 weeks and that’s a huge chance for Jaquez Jr. to show up.
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