When it came to making plays over his first two seasons, Jaime Jaquez Jr. was particularly adept at making plays … for Jaime Jaquez Jr.

This season, the third-year Miami Heat swingman is making sure that everyone eats.

After averaging 2.6 and 2.5 assists, respectively, in his first two seasons, Jaquez went into Thursday averaging 4.1, as part of his overall revival, amid his candidacy for NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

“He has an ability to get downhill, get into the paint, use his physicality,” coach Erik Spoelstra said ahead of Thursday night’s game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. “But, you know, the next layer of it is understanding that teams adjust and they bring a second defender, and he’s really been working at understanding where the open guys are and not predetermining anything.

“He’s been watching film on it, and he’s really improved quite a bit since last year.”

Jaquez said Thursday it’s all about a measured approach.

“I think it all depends on if I get stopped,” Jaquez said of moving into playmaking mode. “I’m just taught to go in and attack until you get stopped. And if you get stopped, that’s the appropriate time to turn and probably kick out and make a play.

“So that’s really what I’m looking for. If I’m able to get to the rim and finish, then I do that.”

At times earlier in his career, Jaquez solely had eyes on the rim. Now there is the vision and insight to play to the strengths of those alongside in the second unit.

“I think definitely just trying to get the defender on their toes,” the 2023 first-round pick out of  UCLA said of persevere or pass. “If they don’t know where I’m going, it makes my job a lot easier, using confusion, deception, all sorts of things.

“And also just trying to be physical, physical as a ball handler, as an attacker, being able to use my body.”

Pace, pace, pace

As relentlessly as Spoelstra wants his team playing, he relentlessly has been stressing that factor, including going into Thursday night’s game.

“It’s the start for sure, for everything,” he said of pressing the pace. “It just gets us in the right mentality to do tough things. The more reckless, you know, disruptive we can be, the better our defense is.

“It sets up our entire game, but it requires that mental and physical energy. I mentioned we become an average team if we don’t play fast. We become an average defense if we don’t play reckless with the physicality and everybody connected together.”

Respects paid

The Heat made clear going into Thursday the respect for what the Pistons have accomplished in their climb to the top of the conference.

“We know what they’ve done in the East,” Spoelstra said. “We know where we want to go in the East. We want to be where we want to be, and we’ve got to beat the teams that are ahead of us.”

The respect also was in place for the continued breakout of Pistons guard Cade Cunningham.

“He gets the game on his terms and his pace,” Spoelstra said. “He gets them running when they want to run. He gets them executing half-court when he wants to slow the game down.”

Injury upgrade

Previously listed as questionable due to inflammation of his left ankle, Heat forward Simone Fontecchio was cleared at midday Thursday to be available against his former team, after sitting out Wednesday’s practice at Kaseya Center.

Fontecchio was acquired in the offseason in the deal that sent Duncan Robinson from the Heat to the Pistons in a sign-and-trade transaction.

Out Thursday for the Heat were Tyler Herro (toe) and Pelle Larsson (ankle), who remained in South Florida for the one-game trip, and two-way players Vlad Goldin and Jahmir Young, who remain on assignment in the G League.