The Miami Heat finally get some good news amidst the team currently on a five-game losing streak heading into Saturday's game against the New York Knicks. Their rookie sensation in Jaime Jaquez Jr. will be available for the contest after missing the last six games according to the team's X (formerly known as Twitter) account.
Jaquez has been dealing with a left groin strain that has kept him out since Jan. 14 against the Charlotte Hornets when he suffered the injury after scoring 15 points in the first quarter alone. There was some concern with the injury as it was in the same area that made him miss two weeks during the preseason.
After the Hornets game, Jaquez spoke to the media and said that the current problem is not as severe as the prior issue, which was backed up by doctors per head coach Erik Spoelstra. The UCLA product had played every game of the regular season up until then and said he takes “pride in being able to be available” for his teammates.
“I take a lot of pride in being able to be available and play games, even through things that are hurting and little injuries here and there,” Jaquez said. “But I think at this point, this is something that I’ve got to take a little more serious and take some time to just recuperate and get myself to 100 percent.”
Jaquez coming back to a different Heat team
There is no doubt that Miami wanted to take their time with Jaquez and not rush him back causing further injury to one of the faces of their future. He has received back to back Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards, providing stellar play when stars were out from injury.
In the month of December, the 22-year old averaged 16.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 48.1 percent from the field. After the game where he suffered the groin problem, Jaquez said that the team was on the injury early.
Almost two weeks later and Jaquez will make his return on the court, but since then, the team has changed. Mami is 1-5 in his absence with the aforementioned losing streak, plus, the last time he played, Kyle Lowry was still on the team. He was traded last Tuesday to the Charlotte Hornets for Terry Rozier.
It will be interesting to see where Jaquez fits into the team as he is likely to come off the bench Saturday with Jimmy Butler healthy. The starting lineup would be projected to be Rozier, Tyler Herro, Butler, Bam Adebayo, and the four position to be a toss-up and maybe a spot for Jaquez. However, that place is usually for Haywood Highsmith.
Spoelstra says Jaquez is effective in “energy plays in transition”
Jaquez is polished for a first-year player and even has been compared to a numerous amount of times to Butler. Spoelstra said to the media that the team misses his “energy,” especially when in plays in transition.
“I don't want anything to sound like an excuse, but certainly some of the in between plays that he can make something out of nothing. The energy plays in transition. Those things can impact but by no means their absences, that's not something we can use as an excuse for the beginning of the game, the last two games just in terms of energy and an effort defensively.” Spoelstra said before lats Friday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks. “Sure, we missed some shots and that's going to happen. The seasons are long so you know, particularly outside shooting, that'll have its ebbs and flows. For the most part, we are fantastic shooting team, but we have to be able to weather storms if it's not going in. We're much better and more mentally tough and we've proven that to be able to defend regardless if we're lighting it up from three.”
One other injury for the Heat is Kevin Love who left early in the loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday dealing with an illness. He would miss the following game against the Boston Celtics Thursday night with a stomach sickness. However, he is off the injury report and is good to go against the Knicks.
There is no doubt that the Heat need to get back to winning ways, but the road ahead isn't easy as New York has won their last five games, their most recent was Thursday against the Denver Nuggets. Miami is 24-21 on the season which puts them seventh in the Eastern Conference.
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