![\"Jaime](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-4-11.20PM-edited.jpg\")
(Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n(Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
Coming off a catastrophic sophomore slump, even Hollywood\u2019s best screenwriter couldn\u2019t have written a better script for third-year Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. entering the 2025-26 season campaign.<\/p>\n
Through seven games, Jaquez is averaging 19.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, shooting 60.3 percent from the floor with an absurd 65.3 true shooting percentage. His jump shooting has still left plenty to be desired, though the 6-foot-6 wing has more than made up for it with his finishing around the rim, which has been one of the NBA\u2019s best.<\/p>\n
Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been one of the NBA\u2019s best finishers, albeit in a small sample:<\/p>\n
Jaquez has been arguably the team\u2019s biggest beneficiary of their new up-tempo offense. As I outlined in my film breakdown<\/a> of his start, he\u2019s getting downhill with ease and is being far less predictable than he was a year ago, when he would spin as much as a merry-go-round.<\/p>\n To go along with his aggressiveness, Jaquez\u2019s feathery touch has been efficient.<\/p>\n Of the 50 players who have attempted at least 30 shots inside the restricted area, Jaquez is shooting 85.0 percent (34-40), second to only Charlotte Hornets rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner (32-37), according to NBA.com\u2019s shot tracking data:<\/p>\n Ryan Kalkbrenner, Hornets \u2014 86.5 percent (32-37)<\/p>\n Jaime Jaquez Jr., Heat \u2014 85.0 percent (34-40)<\/p>\n Isaiah Hartenstein, Thunder \u2014 81.8 percent (27-33)<\/p>\n Ryan Rollins, Bucks \u2014 81.3 percent (26-32)<\/p>\n Victor Wembanyama, Spurs \u2014 81.0 percent (34-42)<\/p>\n Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks \u2014 80.4 percent (74-92!!!)<\/p>\n That\u2019s not bad company, right?!?<\/p>\n Obviously, in this very small sample, those numbers aren\u2019t sustainable. But any number north of 65 percent \u2014 his career high rim accuracy, which he set as a rookie, according to Cleaning The Glass \u2014 over a full season would be huge in Miami\u2019s newfangled pace-and-space offense.<\/p>\n Forget finishing: The Heat couldn\u2019t get to the rim for the life of them last year. They attempted the seventh-fewest shots at the rim with the eighth-worst efficiency. So far, the Heat have the 12th-most rim attempts with the third-best efficiency! <\/p>\n Once again, I don\u2019t expect the latter \u2014 a 75.3 percent clip \u2014 to be sustainable; for perspective, the Phoenix Suns led the NBA in rim accuracy last year \u2026 at 71.4 percent.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, how the Heat have generated \u2014 and, most importantly, finished \u2014 offense in the paint has been very encouraging. With or without Tyler Herro, as they continue to face better point-of-attack defenses, I\u2019ll be very curious to see how it shakes out.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n To check out our other content, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter\/X\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Subscribe to our YouTube channel\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t\t\t