Is Miami Heat's Jaime Jaquez Jr. making a rookie statement on the same level as Dwyane Wade?
Q: I know we are only a quarter into the season, but from what you’ve seen from Jaime Jaquez Jr. until now, would you say he is the best Heat all-around rookie since Dwayne Wade? – Carlos, West Park.
A: Still early. And let’s not discount what Tyler Herro did as a rookie, especially in the playoffs that year in the bubble against the Celtics. For that matter, consider also what Kendrick Nunn achieved with his consistency as a rookie that season. And although a second-rounder, Josh Richardson also had moments during his rookie season. Now, is Jaime Jaquez Jr. trending toward the best Heat rookie season since Dwyane Wade? I think that’s reasonable . . . with 58 games, plus playoffs, still to factor into that equation.
Q: A franchise could do a lot worse than having Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. as your future core. – Jon.
A: But you also need to see it all together, a perspective that’s been highly limited with Tyler Herro going out early in the season and Bam Adebayo now sidelined. So even with Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s breakout, we still have a limited sample size when it comes to the chemistry of those three.
Q: While injuries plague the Heat, Jimmy Butler has to play more minutes even when it’s obvious he is still not getting his full lift from his ankle injury. Do you think they will pay a price for this? Stepping up his pace may be required, but at what price? Is it better to just have him out there at whatever pace his body is telling him? – Mary, Charleston, S.C.
A: Put it this way, with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro close to returning, a reduction of Jimmy Butler’s workload almost seems certain. In fact, don’t get too excited when Tyler, Bam, Haywood Highsmith and Josh Richardson are all back, because completely healthy rosters in the NBA tend to be more the abstract. But I would think that Erik Spoelstra and his staff, once the rotation is more robust, will attempt to push the meter back on what has been required from Jimmy and Kyle Lowry. As it was, Wednesday was a good start, with both being able to sit out the fourth quarter against the Hornets.
