MIAMI – After Miami Heat star Jaime Jaquez Jr. suffered an ankle injury against the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 17, there was concern about his future availability. Especially with how unlucky Jaquez’s injury was as he sustained it by backpedaling on a defender, he spoke Friday about the possibility of making a return sooner rather than later.
Jaquez would miss the Heat’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday but had the benefit of taking advantage of the near week-long break the team has had from games as he practiced fully Friday morning. In an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints, Jaquez would speak confidently about how he’s feeling, even saying that he is “ready to rock.”
“I feel good man, ready to rock,” Jaquez said. “My body, it’s kind of when you go through basketball and you have a long career, you know, injuries are part of the deal. So, you know, just understanding what it takes to get back. And, you know, having experience with things like this, I think, gives me an advantage. Felt great today and excited for tomorrow. And then, obviously, the game on Sunday.”
Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. on the frustration of injuries
The UCLA product is coming off of a stellar first-year campaign where he earned a spot on the NBA’s All-Rookie first team while also being awarded Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors twice. However, it has been a rocky start to his sophomore year in the league since he’s racked up a couple of issues, but he would understand that injuries are a part of the game, even though it’s “frustrating.”
“It’s always frustrating,” Jaquez said. “You never want to get injured, you never want to never want to take time off. So it’s always frustrating. But, you know, it’s a part of the game, and you know, you just got to count your blessings. You know, I still get to play a great sport, you know, take a broader approach. And you know, it helps me come back to, you know, just at least I get to play the game I love. But yeah, it is frustrating.”
Despite being 23 years old, Jaquez serves a crucial role off the Heat’s bench as he is seen as an offensive engine to get the second unit going. His game has even compared to that of his teammate Jimmy Butler, as both pride themselves in playing bully ball and gaining a physical advantage in the paint.
Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. looks at the season so far
However, he is a team-first player as when asked how he feels his season has been doing, the star would say that he analyzes it based on Miami’s record, which is at 6-7.
“I always try to assess my play on our wins and losses,” Jaquez said. “So right now, you know, we’re not where I want to be, you know, I think I got a lot of room to improve still and showcase what I can do. But it’s going to take time, you know, got to get my body healthy and ready to go. But, you know, we got a lot, a lot of season left, very confident of myself that I’ll be getting back right, you know, there’s some things I need to improve on, and that will come.”
The next steps for Jaime Jaquez Jr. to make his Heat return
So far this season, Jaquez is averaging 8.9 points, six rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from the three-point line. After practicing in full Friday, the steps now to play Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks are seeing how his body responds and further treatment.
“Yeah, definitely getting full practice in, you know, making sure my body’s feeling where it needs to be,” Jaquez said. “Doing treatment, you know, all the little things to help me get back on the court.”
Besides Jaquez, Heat star Terry Rozier also practiced with full contact as he sustained a foot injury where head coach Erik Spoelstra expressed there is progress with both.
“They were both able to practice today in contact,” Spoelstra said after Friday’s practice. “It wasn’t every single rep, but that was progress to me. And then we’ll just ultimately have to see how they feel tomorrow.”
At any rate, Miami hopes to get both Jaquez and Rozier back for the matchup against Dallas, who will miss star Luka Doncic, on Sunday as they look to win two straight.
