Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. continues to impress, earn late-game trust. Also, Bam from midrange
Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. is only two weeks into his first NBA season, but he has already been tested more than a few times.
From defending Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James to playing important fourth-quarter minutes, Jaquez has done all of that. More importantly, Jaquez has done all of that well.
Jaquez added to that list in Wednesday night’s 108-102 win against the Memphis Grizzlies, playing the entire fourth quarter and taking and making a game-clinching corner three-pointer to extend the Heat’s lead from three to six points with 18.4 seconds to play.
“I’m just really trying to find my rhythm throughout the game,” Jaquez said, with the Heat now in Atlanta awaiting Saturday night’s matchup against the Hawks. “I caught a rhythm, was feeling good. I knew I was going to get an opportunity just because the way they were going to play me, not looking at me like a threat. When I got the shot, I just continued to have confidence in my ability to shoot. I work too hard to not have faith in myself to shoot that shot.”
That’s important because it would have been easy for Jaquez to pass up that open corner three in the final seconds of Wednesday’s win, considering he was just 4 of 19 (21.1 percent) from three-point range and 2 of 11 (18.2 percent) on corner threes this season before hitting the game-clincher in Memphis.
Jaquez, who is an older rookie at 22 years old after playing four seasons at UCLA, recorded eight points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field (including the big three-pointer), two rebounds, one assist and one steal while playing the entire fourth quarter on Wednesday.
Jaquez closed the victory with a career-high 11 points to go with three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 21 minutes off the bench.
“He made some big plays down the stretch on both ends of the court,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Defensively, he was very good. He just has great instincts for the ball, he’s physical and he has some poise and savviness to him defensively. So he can play with the vets because he is an older player even though he’s a rookie. Then offensively, he figures out how to fit in and make some plays. That fast-break layup was big and he had some other cuts that opened things up. Then, obviously, the big three down the stretch.”
While averaging 6.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting an efficient 50 percent from the field despite only 5 of 20 (25 percent) from three-point range through Miami’s first eight games, Jaquez has limited teams to an excellent 0.4 points per possession when serving as the primary defender in isolation situations, according to NBA tracking stats.
“Being where I am, being a rookie, you got to take these steps and I just try to keep moving forward, take steps in the right direction and not take any steps back and just do whatever I can to win,” said Jaquez, who was selected by the Heat with the 18th overall pick in this year’s draft. “I think when you focus on what you need to focus on, when you focus on winning, playing hard, playing defense, taking the right shots, good things end up happening.”
With Heat guard Tyler Herro expected to miss time after spraining his right ankle during Wednesday’s win, there could be more fourth-quarter minutes in Jaquez’s future. Jaquez gives the Heat another ball-handler who can make plays but can also be used in the post because of his size at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds and exceptional footwork.
“I just keep trying to make him trust me more,” Jaquez said, referring to Spoelstra. “Keep making him proud. Try not to mess it up. That’s kind of where I’m at right now.”
BAM FROM MIDRANGE
The Grizzlies were content with giving Heat center Bam Adebayo open midrange looks on Wednesday, having reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. sag off of Adebayo to protect the rim.
Adebayo took advantage, stepping into those open midrange jumpers to shoot 6 of 10 on non-rim paint attempts and 2 of 4 on non-paint twos on his way to finishing Wednesday’s win with a season-high 30 points to go with 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Because of Memphis’ defensive coverage, Adebayo took just one shot from within the restricted area.
“They’re unique defensively,” Spoelstra said of the Grizzlies. “They’re committed to protecting the paint, they were sagging way off of Bam. When teams do that, he’s seen that for a while over the years. We saw that initially in the playoffs with Milwaukee and he worked on that diligently. So he’s stepping into a 12-foot shot. That’s an open look and we just tried to simplify it. That was probably the best look for us.”
Adebayo said the Grizzlies’ decision to give him open midrange looks didn’t bother him.
“I’ll live with it. If they’re going to let me shoot it, I’ll take my shots,” said Adebayo, who is shooting 43 percent on non-rim twos this season. “That’s in my wheelhouse.”
NEAR TRIPLE-DOUBLE
Heat guard Kyle Lowry nearly recorded a triple-double in Wednesday’s win, finishing with season-highs in points (17), rebounds (11), assists (9), field-goal attempts (11) and three-point attempts (7).
“Maybe the NBA will give him an assist overnight, give him that triple-double,” Spoelstra said with a smile after the NBA retroactively took away a rebound from Adebayo’s triple-double performance in Monday’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lowry has 21 triple-doubles in his NBA career, including three with the Heat.
“I already got the record for under-six-feet triple-doubles, so I’m fine,” Lowry said after finishing one assist short of his 22nd NBA triple-double on Wednesday.
