In wake of season worthy of All-Rookie, Heat’s Jaquez also offers music to Riley’s ears

MIAMI – The sense almost from day one was that the Miami Heat found the right player at the right time in the first round of last year’s NBA draft.

If anything, the notion was confirmed shortly after the final day of the season, when Jaime Jaquez Jr. addressed his rookie season.

For all that had transpired since being selected No. 18 out of UCLA last June, Jaquez opened his exit interview stressing that he appreciated that more would be needed going forward, that maintaining health would be crucial in building on his rookie success.

The comments came three days before Heat President Pat Riley made player availability the theme of his postseason comments.

That drive and perseverance had Jaquez awaiting Monday’s 2 p.m. NBA announcement to see if he would become the first Heat draft pick to be named first-team All-Rookie since Michael Beasley in 2009.

“I would just say the biggest thing I would take away from this season is learning the importance of just taking care of your body, and your health and your mind,” Jaquez said. “I think that’s probably the biggest thing to learn, that it’s a long season. Your health is very important, mental, physical, so always got to keep that in check.”

Understand, Jaquez probably was the last player Riley was addressing when he spoke of availability, with the 6-foot-6 wing appearing in a team-high 75 games during the regular season.

No matter. Jaquez arrived with personal expectations closer to that of a lottery pick, closer to those of lottery-selected All-Rookie leading candidates Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren and Brandon Miller.

“It’s been great just having such an experienced group of veterans around me that have so much experience. To be able to learn under them and to take what they’re giving me has just been huge,” Jaquez said, in giving credit for his rookie success to teammates Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, among others. “And I think it’s given me an advantage being able to play in my rookie season and just learning from guys like that.”

In being named NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November and December, Jaquez became the fifth Heat rookie to win the award, joining Beasley, Caron Butler, Josh Richardson and Kendrick Nunn, and the third to do so multiple times (Butler four times, Nunn three).

That, in turn, made the ensuing months more challenging.

“Jaime exploded on the scene,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That was obvious for everybody to see. Then he got on everyone’s scouting reports. Then it changed for a little bit. Then he was injured. Then when he came back, I really felt like he was a much better player. He was able to see things at a deeper level.”

Arguably the lone blip during Jaquez’s rookie season was missing six games in January with a groin strain.

By then, he was on opposing scouting reports. Suddenly, the polished footwork in the post wasn’t necessarily such fertile ground.

“Especially down in the post is where I think that word was out on me,” Jaquez said. “So just developing counters and reading defenses and understanding how to get to my spots.”

With an appreciation that rookie notoriety only will count so much, and not nearly as much as the expectation of another step with his defense.

“Just being able to get to a lockdown defender is one of the things I’m looking forward to being in my coming years,” he said, “as well as just a consistent, knockdown shooter are probably the two biggest things for me.”

Miami Heat players on NBA All-Rookie teams since the franchise’s inception in 1988-89:

First Team

Sherman Douglas, 1989-90

Steve Smith, 1991-92

Caron Butler, 2002-03

Dwyane Wade*, 2003-04

Michael Beasley, 2008-09

Kendrick Nunn, 2019-20

Second Team

Kevin Edwards, 1988-89

Glen Rice, 1989-90

Willie Burton, 1990-91

Udonis Haslem, 2003-04

Mario Chalmers, 2008-09

Justise Winslow, 2015-16

Tyler Herro, 2019-20

* – Unanimous selection