The NBA Has A Jaime Jaquez PROBLEM..

The NBA Has A Jaime Jaquez PROBLEM..

My most improved player right now has to be Haimeme Hakez. Last season was the definition of a sophomore slump for him. 8.6 points per game. Pretty much regressed in every single category compared to his rookie season. But now after 11 games, my goodness, he looks amazing. 17.5 points, 5.2 assists per game. That’s second on the team only behind DaVon Mitchell. And guess what? He’s playing mistakefree basketball. 1.8 turnovers per game. His efficiency so far is off the charts as well. So over his career, 48% from the field this season, 57% from the field. On top of that, he’s shooting the most field goals of his NBA career. So he’s upped the volume and somehow upped the efficiency. If that wasn’t enough for you, he’s also getting to the free throw line at a decent rate. 3.9 free throws per game, 81% from the strike. He’s just an all-around basketball player. For example, 7.5 rebounds per game right now. That’s currently third on the Miami Heat behind wear and bam at a bio. Early in the season, his impact has been off the charts. So, it turns out 328 minutes he’s been on the court per pivotfade.com plus 127 plus 17.1 net rating, 119.8 offensive rating, 102.7 defensive rating. That tells me that Heat have a huge advantage when their bench comes in. They definitely are destroying second units consistently. And the thing is they’ve been worse when he’s off the court. 205 minutes 64 in the plus minus category. That’s enough with the statistics though. I want to break down his game because he’s just a joy to watch. I think the most underrated thing about him is his handles and his ability to play through contact and traffic. Jordan Clarkson gets a good swipe at it. He really tries to get physical, but our guy just doesn’t feel it. And now look at MueL. He’s going for a steal. That doesn’t work either. He maintains control. And guess who’s next? OG Anobi. He comes up with nothing. And then it turns into a three-point jumper. That play right there just gives you a great idea of how he’s only averaging 1.8 turnovers per game. As I was saying, his handles a wicked between behind the back shifts. Josh Hart that allows him to get close to the basket. But guess what? He’s navigating through traffic once again. Carl Anthony Town’s running his face. Josh Hart still there. Landry Sham hovering. And then he fades away and kisses it off the glass from a very tough angle. His shot making around the rim right now is ridiculous with floaters. He’s using the glass to his advantage when he has to. And around this area, this is where most of his shots come from. The problem was last season he wasn’t very efficient in the paint 38.9% that’s 32nd percentile and then the restricted area 61.1% 24th percentile now let’s look at this season I I mean clearly his aggressiveness has been taken to another level 4.5 attempts per game way more than the last season in the paint 5.4 before in the restricted area as well. Way more 46.9% from the paint, 63rd percentile, huge improvement. And then restricted area just outstanding 81.4% 88th percentile. Now on the play I broke down, Josh Hart was playing aggressive in terms of how you guard him. Playing up at the three-point line, you shouldn’t really do that. Most teams kind of disrespect him, but he’s doing a great job using that to his advantage. You see Chris Dunn here way in the paint pretty much. So, he’s eating up that space to pick up speed. And now this bump sends Chris Dunn way back. Then he quickly transitions right into a layup to avoid the shot blocking Brook Lopez. I really think his speed catches defenders offguard. He’s a really physical player. He’s always seeking out contact, trying to bully guys with his size and strength. So, I think as a defender, you’re expecting that. And then all of a sudden, you see this quick burst. This first step is very elite in my opinion. And let me tell you, the biggest cheat code in basketball is having a reliable floater, having a nice hook shot because it takes 0.1 seconds to get that shot off. You can get it off at any time and the defense can’t really anticipate it like a jump shot. But also, he’s got the footwork of an elite center. Working against Paulo Bancerero, he takes one dribble and look at his body language. The way he’s spinning. Paulo’s definitely anticipating that he’s going into the lefthand shot. So, the pump fake works to perfection. And then he spins back the other way. And then the pivot is just so beautiful. And the true beauty of this play is he starts out, left foot is his pivot foot, but then the second time he stops his dribble, his right foot is the pivot foot. He has that rare trait where if he gets both feet down at the same time as a defender, you really can’t anticipate which is his pivot foot and which direction he will go. And playing off two feet like that is such a cheat code when it comes to getting defenders in the wrong spot and drawing fouls and things of that nature. Here’s another situation where the defense could care less about his three-point shot, but right now mentally, he doesn’t let that type of disrespect affect him at all. He actually likes it. I say that because he catches and he just goes right away. He’s not, you know, taking a moment to think, oh, should I drive? Should I shoot or should I pass? Should I go into a dribble handoff? No, no. He’s playing off instincts and playing very aggressive. And now he gets to pick up speed and then he switches directions just like that with the handle. Now he’s creating contact going into a post up. The defense got to be ready for that floater at any point in time. And that’s the reason why his ball fake works so well. You see it again. The defense is just jumpy and before his defender even touches the ground, he’s pivoting into that open space and floating it over the top of the help defender. He just has such a high basketball IQ and he’s comboing that with extreme confidence right now. I think that’s a big difference between last year and this year. and he’s making himself useful off the basketball despite not having a three-point shot. Right now, he’s averaging 1.75 points per possession as a cutter. That’s 98th percentile. Just knowing where to be and knowing when to cut is making a big difference and providing easy offense for the Heat. Also, I think the Heat changing up their style benefits him a ton. They’re playing really, really fast. Currently, the Heat have the most possessions in all of basketball. And as you could imagine, that means they’re playing at the fastest pace in the NBA. On top of that, they’re sharing the basketball, top 10 in assist percentage as a team. Their offensive identity right now is move the basketball, drive, and kick. And that’s the bread and butter of his game. I also want to talk about his three-point shots. So, right now, he’s shooting 21% from three on 1.7 attempts per game. Lowest volume and lowest efficiency of his career. He’s been a 31% three-point shooter throughout his career, but if I’m being real with you guys, I feel like he’s got that Jimmy Butler quality about him where he’s not looking for the three-point shot. And I think that’s a big reason why that efficiency is so low right now. It’s just not his game. However, when he’s in a scenario where he takes the three, I still believe in it. It doesn’t feel like he’s a 21% three-point shooter. Let me know if you agree. Now, we talked a lot about his offense, but defensively, he’s there as well. Everyone on the team pretty much plays defense. And with his archetype, he’s got versatility on that end. He can defend multiple positions and hold his own against small guards, but also bigger forwards and centers. And I think the defensive rating when he’s on the court just showcases he’s an impactful defender on this team. 102.7 defensive rating with him out there and 127.6 without him. Not saying he’s the reason for that, but he’s definitely playing a part in it. He’s a two-way player is basically what I’m trying to say. But that’s all I got. I want to hear your thoughts below. He’s such a fun player to watch and break down. Hopefully you guys enjoyed. Leave a like if you did. Check out my other videos. Have yourself a great day. Peace out.

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