Former All-Pac-12 swingman Jaime Jaquez Jr. debuted as a key role player on Opening Day in the NBA with the Miami Heat heading into the postseason, emerging as a possible All-Rookie first-teamer. This year, the 6-foot-6 small forward from UCLA is averaging 12 points on .487/.309/.804 shooting splits, 3.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and one steal in 28.6 minutes per game.
In a recent conversation with Anthony Chung of the Miami Herald, he revealed what the most difficult aspect of playing at the next level is.
“I think the biggest challenge is the length of the season,” Jaquez said. “There's a lot of games and I think you never understand what it's about until you get there. I think for me, enduring the length of the games and the season was the biggest thing.”
Jaquez later revealed why his numbers dipped a bit as the 2023-24 season progressed. The decline in his 3-point shooting is particularly noticeable. Through the first 20 games of this season, he completed 39.3% of his 3.1 triple attempts per night. Over the past 20 years, its effectiveness (and frequency) has plummeted to 27.1% of 2.4 long-distance attempts. He also hurt his groin in January, and his scoring overall has decreased since then.
“There's a lot of things that could happen,” Jaquez said. “I don't want to get hung up on anything specific. I think a lot of it is just me trying to be mentally prepared. I just want to go out there and play my game and help the team win.” Just do what you can to help.”
“I think it's a sign of respect,” Jaquez said of his struggles to score. “Everyone is now worried about me. That's what you want as a player. The next step is how can I adapt to the new coverages I see and make the right plays? How can I manipulate the defense when double teams come? That's one of the biggest things we talk about. Utilizing my defensive pull to get my opponent open and manipulate to take great shots. Please tell me how.”
