"The feel-good story of Jaime Jaquez Jr. is starting to show its warts as we get deeper into the season. After starting out the year looking like a lock for 6th Man of the Year and/or Most Improved Player, JJJ has started to regress to the mean. And with a litmus test on deck against Chicago, the Miami Heat are going to need that early-season form of Jaquez Jr. to show up if they hope to pass with flying colors."
"The issue for Jaquez Jr. is that since the Portland game, his finishing at the rim has started to wane, in part because opposing teams have no fear of his ability to hit from deep. He is still shooting just 20.7% from three, which is 7th worst in the NBA among players with at least 25 attempts early in the season. His rebounding has also taken a dip, and against the Knicks, he was a turnover machine."
"Death, taxes, and Miami and Chicago stacking up next to each other in the standings. Friday night's NBA Cup contest serves as a test against a Bulls squad that has had many of the same early ups and downs as the Heat. The Bulls started hot at 6-1, but have come back to Earth since. But even in their descent, Chicago lost to Utah in OT only to turn around and knock off Denver."
Jaime Jaquez Jr. began the season performing at an unexpectedly high level, ranking second in plus/minus early on. Recent games show regression toward his expected performance, with a six-game stretch of negatives before briefly returning to positive against a depleted Golden State lineup. His finishing at the rim has declined since Portland as defenses no longer respect his three-point shot; he is converting only 20.7% from deep on at least 25 attempts. Rebounding has dropped and turnovers spiked, notably against New York. An upcoming NBA Cup matchup at Chicago and the imminent return of Tyler Herro threaten rotation and minutes.
Read at All U Can Heat
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