Has Jaime Jaquez Jr. Cemented Himself As a Heat Centerpiece?

Heat rookie drops a career-high 31 points to lead Miami over Philadelphia on Christmas

The Miami Heat defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 119-113 thanks to a career night from Jaime Jaquez Jr. 

It was a night of firsts for the 2023 first-round pick. Jaquez led Miami with 31 points and 10 rebounds during the Christmas Day victory. Both were personal bests for the forward, who also recorded his first career double-double. 

The history didn't stop there, though. Jaquez became the first rookie in NBA history to score at least 31 points, grab at least 10 rebounds, have an 80+ true shooting percentage, and have no turnovers in a contest. Jaquez also joined Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Walt Bellamy, and Patrick Ewing as the only rookies with 30 points and 10 rebounds on Christmas.

What made his performance more impressive was the absence of teammate Jimmy Butler from the rotation. The six-time All-Star missed his third consecutive game with a calf strain. Jaquez started in Butler's absence and has averaged 20 points over the past three games.

Does the recent play of Miami's youngster solidify him as a part of the Heat's core moving forward? The Heat have built a team around Butler and Bam Adebayo while also telling teams that they plan on keeping guard Tyler Herro. Jaquez found himself in trade rumors before suiting up for a regular season game but his sensational rookie performance may cement his stay.

Herro had a similar start to his rookie season as Jaquez, as the 2019 first-round pick primarily came off the bench while being named to the All-Rookie Second Team during. Herro continued to score off the bench, climaxing with a 2021-22 Sixth Man of the Year award. Herro is now one of the top players on this season's Heat team.

Jaquez has started his rookie season on a similar note. His production has gradually increased through the first half of the season. The former UCLA player competes with other star rookies on the stat sheet. Jaquez leads all first-year players in games played and minutes. The Heat player has the fourth-most points per game in the rookie class, only trailing Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, and Brandon Miller.

It may be early to label the 22-year-old as a core player for the Heat, but time will tell if Jaquez is able to continue flourishing into another Pat Riley draft gem.

Casey Fahrer is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He can be reached at caseyfahrer716@gmail.com.