Heat HC Erik Spoelstra explains rise of rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Saturday sounded like the antithesis of Colorado head honcho Deion Sanders. Coach Spo criticized top college players for entering the transfer portal when the going gets tough.

Spoelstra was asked about the early success of standout rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. before the Heat’s 117-109 loss to the Utah Jazz at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The longtime Heat coach credited Jaquez’s four-year tenure at UCLA. Spoelstra believed that the 22-year-old’s development from Bruins role player to first option during that time prepared him for the rigors of the NBA.

Spoelstra then criticized blue-chip recruits for not taking the same path as often.

“There were stages to [Jaquez’s] career at UCLA over four years,” Spoelstra said, via Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports. “In this current NBA society, nobody really wants that. Right now, if you’re not a No. 1 option as a freshman and you’re a five-star recruit, you’re either transferring or you’re declaring. You’re not really developing any kind of grit or learning a role or embracing a role the way Jaime did. He had a different kind of path that we respect.”

NBA draft tendencies are also arguably to blame for the shift in priorities among youngsters. It’s hard to blame a promising teenager on the NBA radar for declaring for the draft relatively early.

The allure of the 19-year-old prospect with tantalizing-yet-raw potential often interests teams more than that of a 22-year-old graduating senior. The former can be seen as malleable with a higher ceiling, while the latter might be considered closer to a finished product.

Jaquez’s senior status was likely a big reason why he fell to the Heat, who drafted him with the 18th overall pick in June. The UCLA alum appeared to have landed in the perfect situation with a franchise that’s known for finding overlooked players.

In his first 32 games this season, Jaquez has averaged 13.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 50.6% shooting from the field. He was the Eastern Conference rookie of the month in November. Jaquez has also been a mainstay in the top three of the NBA's rookie rankings week after week –  just behind elite prospects Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama.