The Miami Heat are no strangers to changing their rotation each week, largely due to injuries.
While forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. is expected to be a primary contributor on the second unit, the 23-year-old could find himself in the starting lineup under certain circumstances. That means Jaquez could eliminate himself from the Sixth Man of the Year conversation, depending on the health of veteran star Jimmy Butler.
ESPN Analysts Expect a strong campaign from Butler, who predicts Jaquez has the fourth-best chance of winning Sixth Man of the Year. He received 18 points, or 10 percent of the vote. The three names ahead of him are Malik Monk (38 points), Alex Caruso (38 points) and reigning winner Naz Reid (29 points).
Jaquez started 20 games in his rookie campaign, a number that was probably too high to earn the honors. Reid started just 14 times last year, which some fans considered unreasonable. Monk, a favorite to win, didn’t start a single game for the Sacramento Kings.
The public should expect a good season from Jaquez, no matter where he fits on the Heat roster.
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Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer for Miami Heat On SI. You can contact him at [email protected] or follow him on X @AnthonyPasci.
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