How Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been a ‘great example’ for the Heat

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How Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been a ‘great example’ for the Heat

Zachary Weinberger, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Tue, Dec 30, 2025 ·

4 min read

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How Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been a 'great example' for the Heat appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

MIAMI – As the Miami Heat look to be better as the season goes on, amidst an up-and-down season thus far, the one constant this season has been the performance of Jaime Jaquez Jr. , currently in his third NBA season. While Jaquez has brought some clarity for the Heat regarding his role, head coach Erik Spoelstra speaks on his progress since stepping into the league from the NBA Draft.

Jaquez has been a major bright spot for Miami this season, especially coming off a second season where he struggled to recreate the success from his rookie year. With the Heat making a change to its offensive system, emphasizing a fast-paced and free-flowing style, it's given a chance to display Jaquez's strengths in getting downhill and physical in the paint.

The 24-year-old's role is clear with Miami as he's been the first player off the bench every game, with many putting him in the running for the Sixth Man of the Year award. So far this season, Jaquez has averaged 16.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 52.1 percent from the field.

"Yeah, he's had a clear mind, " Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints before Monday's game against the Nuggets, which is the last game of 2025 for the team. "He understands what his role is for us. And I was really talking about his competitive spirit and his voice being really consistent. You know, we need that type of competitive edge throughout our roster."

"He's been a great example of that, and he's been consistent with his paint attacks all year, and he's continuing to improve with his decision-making," Spoelstra continued. "Teams are sending more defenders when he drives, backing off him in certain cases, and I think he's getting better at making those reads in the long run."

Heat's Erik Spoelstra shouts out the 'consistency' of Jaime Jaquez Jr.

In a time where some Heat players needed time off due to injuries like Bam Adebayo recently, and even with the continued absence of Tyler Herro , the team has needed this type of production and energy from Jaquez. If there is one aspect that Jaquez wanted from himself, it's to be "consistent," with Spoelstra stamping him with that label.

After Miami's win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, where Jaquez scored 28 points without Adebayo and Herro, Spoelstra would emphasize the "competitive will" the UCLA product has.

"He's been very consistent this year," Spoelstra said. "And I know there was a stretch, you know, when we were losing those games that he was missing some shots, and there's some plays he could've made, but the competitive will and the competitive spirit, that's what we need."

"And he's all about that, and he's getting more comfortable now in his role to start using his voice more now, which is also great," Spoelstra continued. "What we need is paint touches. We need that aggressiveness, that stuff where he can create something out of nothing. Good teams have that quality."

At any rate, Jaquez looks to continue to stack his impressive outings in the hopes of potentially being the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, as the last time a player on the Heat won the honor, it was Tyler Herro in 2022. Maybe more importantly, Jaquez looks to help the Heat as before Monday's game against the Nuggets, the team is 17-15 with the opportunity to head into the New Year with positive momentum.

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