“Focused on winning games”: Jaime Jaquez Jr. doesn’t pay attention to being compared to Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren for Rookie of the Year
Back in the 2023 NBA Draft, Jaime Jaquez Jr. was the 18th pick by the Miami Heat for his polished offensive game after spending four years at UCLA. The rookie played brilliantly this season with his role in Miami. Speaking with Hoops Hype's Michael Sotto, Jaquez Jr. mentioned his focus on winning as opposed to comparisons to Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren for Rookie of the Year.
"I don't really pay attention to that," Jaquez Jr. said. "I'm focused on winning games, whether I was a rookie or not. That's my main focus, win games. As far as that conversation, it's not something I pay attention to."
From Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s comments, the Heat guard does not "pay attention" to narratives and comparisons being made of him with other promising rookies this season.
Despite not having the height advantage and skills of Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, Jaquez Jr. has been a valuable asset for the Miami Heat's second unit.
In the 17 games that he has played this season, he averaged 11.2 points (50.7% shooting, including 40.0% from 3-point range) and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. talked about the Miami Heat's mindset this season
In the same interview with Hoops Hype's Michael Sotto, Jaime Jaquez Jr. talked about the Miami Heat's winner mentality to return to the NBA Finals.
"We're here to win," Jaquez Jr. said. "We're trying to get back to the NBA Finals. I think we have a great team this year. We just need to stay healthy. I don't think that's unrealistic to get back to the NBA Finals and say our goal is to win it. That's why you play this game. You don't play it to get second place."
The rookie spoke confidently about this year's Heat team, with the notion that they have enough to make another deep run in the 2023 playoffs. As of now, the Heat rank 18th (112.1) in the offensive ratings across the league and eighth (110.0) in defensive ratings. Additionally, Miami is also seventh in the Eastern Conference standings.
Based on what the Miami Heat showcased in the 2023 postseason, they are a unit that should never be underestimated once the playoffs roll in.