(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Miami Heat, the defending Eastern Conference champions, have played well at times this season, but overall, something has been missing.
They hold an 11-8 record, and they rank just 20th in points per game, which means that once again, they lack the talent to get over the hump.
However, they may have a diamond in the rough in rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. out of the University of California, Los Angeles.
Jaquez, the No. 18 pick in June’s draft, has been playing well, and radio host Michael Ryan said he feels quite a few executives would rather have Jaquez than Lillard considering both players’ contracts, per Legion Hoops.
“If you asked GMs who would you rather have from this point forward: Damian Lillard at his cap number or Jaime Jaquez Jr. at his cap number? I think you’d be shocked at how many people would say Jaime Jaquez.”
— @MichaelRyanRuiz on @LeBatardShow pic.twitter.com/HNwzVIGtTt
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 1, 2023
Lillard, a seven-time All-Star and future Hall of Fame guard, was thought to be Miami-bound over the summer after he demanded a trade and specifically asked to be sent to Miami.
Instead, he was dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks, a team that recently won the NBA championship and lost to the Heat in the first round of last spring’s playoffs.
Jaquez is averaging 12.0 points in 26.6 minutes a game while shooting a high percentage from the field and from 3-point range, and he has upped his production in his last 10 games or so.
On Thursday, he scored a season-high 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting in a 10-point win over the Indiana Pacers.
With team leader Jimmy Butler getting up there in age, having a young stud such as Jaquez is invaluable for the Heat, especially if they decide to reload and trade for a veteran star guard.
The post Analyst Implies The Heat Are Happy With 1 Offseason Decision appeared first on The Cold Wire.