Unicorns Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren continue to dominate Rookie of the Year rankings in this young NBA season, but there is one name blazing its way to the Top 3.
Miami Heat's 18th overall pick, Jaime Jaquez, is a silent workhorse who has been very consistent since Day 1.
His stellar performances for coach Erik Spoelstra's squad have the league's writers and analysts taking notice.
He has played every game so far for the Heat and is fifth in scoring with 10.5 points in 25 minutes per game. A few weeks ago, his point production was only at 7 ppg.
This production is not surprising, though. Scouts thought his advantage over other rookies was that he no longer needed to be developed. He is an impact player who can contribute right away.
Spoelstra knows the former UCLA stand-out is all about taking advantage of opportunities.
"The grit, the perseverance, the mental and the emotional stability," he said of Jaquez Jr. before their win against the Brooklyn Nets two weeks ago.
"He's learning things, but he typically doesn't make the same mistake twice.
"He's earned the trust of the staff, but more importantly he's earned the trust of his teammates. They feel comfortable with him out there and he knows how to fit in. And defensively he can do a lot of different things, which fits into our system."
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Spoelstra's words do not decide whether Jaquez is worthy of the award. It is his game that is making the case.
Here is why Jaquez is a dark horse in the ROY race:
1. Veteran-like poise and production.
Jaquez Jr. is the type to seize the moment.
Unfortunately, Tyler Herro, the Heat's top scorer this season, went down with an injury. It's good for them to have a player like Jaquez, who continues to fill Herro's shoes. He is also filling out the minutes that are supposed to go to Caleb Martin, who is not yet 100 percent.
The 22-year-old guard scored 19 and 22 in their last two victories. In those games, he earned meaningful fourth-quarter minutes, the minutes Herro was supposed to play.
The best thing about that is he is showing himself as a true system player.
2. Heat's leader off the bench.
Spoelstra had difficulty mixing and matching his second unit at the start of the season as they fell to a 1-4 record in their first five games.
He eventually found the right formula with Jaquez among the key pieces in the equation.
"What he brings is something that gives us a totally different dimension to that second unit, which is encouraging," the Fil-Am coach said after the bounce-back win against Chicago.
3. Playoffs appearance on the horizon.
Scottie Barnes won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2022 for his contribution to the Toronto Raptors' road to the first round of the playoffs.
Jaquez Jr. can carve the same campaign if the Heat reaches the playoffs again with him as a key contributor.
The road to ROY for Jaquez Jr. is hard since Holmgren and Wembanyama are playing spectacularly for their respective teams. Still, it is not hard to argue that Jaquez is in a perfect spot to steal the limelight.
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