Erik Spoelstra is demanding a lot from his young Miami Heat stars, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. is the latest to know where he needs to improve.
The Miami Heat will focus on developing their young stars next season, as they look to develop their core and get back to winning ways.
Erik Spoelstra has made it a priority to challenge the up-and-coming Miami Heat players to rise to the occasion. Most recently, Spoelstra challenged Kel’el Ware to be more intense during games.
On top of that, Spoelstra demanded Nikola Jovic work on rebounding as the season goes on, something he has delivered on so far.
Now, Spoelstra has turned his attention to Jaime Jaquez Jr., pointing out some flaws in his game that he wants the 2023 first-round pick to work on.
Photo by Manuel Velasquez/Getty ImagesErik Spoelstra wants Jaime Jaquez Jr. to work on his decision-making speed
Erik Spoelstra spoke after the Miami Heat’s preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs. When discussing Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s performance, Coach Spo had some notes for the youngster.
He liked Jaquez Jr. driving to the basket, but wants him to be better defensively, especially against quick guards. Offensively, he wants Jaquez Jr. to focus on making more passes when driving to the basket.
“He had a terrific play in the first quarter where he drove into the defense, drew a crowd, and then just pivoted and threw it out to Norm.
“That’s part of his development. He’s really competitive, so he’s going to compete defensively. He has some things that he has to overcome with the quicker guards. But it’s not from a lack of hustle…
“Offensively, he’s such a downhill force that he’s going to attract helpside defenders. Naturally, he has to evolve and make enough plays to keep the defense honest. We need him to be aggressive.
“I don’t want him to take away the aggressiveness; it’s probably his best offensive skill. He has great footwork and all those things.
“If he makes enough plays and generates some easy shots for other guys, then it’ll open up his own driving angles. He did a pretty good job of both those things tonight.”
Miami Heat’s young core set for breakout season
With no superstars on their team, the Miami Heat have a brilliant opportunity to develop their young talent this season.
Players like Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, and Kel’el Ware are showing their raw potential and need the playing time to develop into star-level players.
With a strong veteran presence on the roster, the Heat have given these young stars the tools to become everything they want to be.
Now, it’s just a matter of how badly they want it. If this young trio can take a leap this season, the Heat will benefit massively come 2026, when they look to attract a big-name free agent to join their team.