Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. is a finalist for NBA Sixth Man of the Year, alongside Tim Hardaway Jr. and Keldon Johnson. The winners will be announced during the postseason.
Key points
Jaime Jaquez Jr. named a finalist for NBA Sixth Man of the Year
Other finalists are Tim Hardaway Jr. and Keldon Johnson
Winners to be announced during the postseason
Jaquez achieved notable season averages as a reserve
Heat has only one previous Sixth Man of the Year winner
Miami HeatDenver NuggetsSan Antonio SpursJaime Jaquez Jr.
MIAMI — Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. on Sunday was named one of three finalists for NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
Jaquez was the lone Heat finalist for any of the NBA’s major awards, with three finalists announced Sunday in each category, the winners to be announced during the course of the postseason.
Jaquez is now positioned to potentially become just the second winner of the sixth-man honor in the Heat’s 38 seasons, with Tyler Herro winning the award in 2022.
Jaquez finished this past season as one of just three reserves in NBA history to start fewer than 30 games and average at least 14 points, four rebounds and four assists on at least a .550 true-shooting percentage, joining only 2008 Sixth Man of the Year winner Manu Ginobili, a year the Spurs guard was only one vote short of being a unanimous selection.
Sunday’s announcement also means Heat center Bam Adebayo will remain without the Defensive Player of the Year award he has coveted over his nine seasons, not named among the three finalists for that honor.
The three finalists for Defensive Player of the Year ahead of Adebayo are San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren and wing , the Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest product.
Q&A
Who are the finalists for NBA Sixth Man of the Year 2023?
The finalists are Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tim Hardaway Jr., and Keldon Johnson.
What records did Jaime Jaquez Jr. achieve this season?
Jaquez averaged at least 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists with a .550 true-shooting percentage while starting fewer than 30 games.
When will the NBA Sixth Man of the Year winner be announced?
The winner will be announced during the course of the postseason.
How many Sixth Man of the Year awards have the Miami Heat won?
The Miami Heat have won the Sixth Man of the Year award once, with Tyler Herro winning in 2022.
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Adebayo still figures to receive strong consideration for a spot on one of the All-Defensive teams.
As for Jaquez, he led all NBA reserves this past season in points, field goals, 20-point games, points in the paint, fast-break points and points off turnovers, while posting a +169 plus/minus rating in reserve.
In addition, among NBA reserves, he ranked second in assists and fouls drawn, third in free throws made, tied for third in double-doubles, fourth in defensive rebounds and fifth in total rebounds.
From a Heat perspective, his 22 20-point games off the bench this season were the second-most during a single season in Heat franchise history, only to the 32 by Herro in the year he won the award. Jaquez’s 27 career 20-point games as a reserve already rank as the second-most in team history.
Further, Jaquez this season scored the second-most bench points during a single season in Heat history, becoming just the fourth player to score at least 1,000 off the bench, joining Herro, Dwyane Wade and Tyler Johnson.
It was a considerable turnaround from a second season that cast doubt on future role going forward
“Jaime had a great bounce back year,” coach Erik Spoelstra said at last week’s season-ending media session. “It shows his competitive character. He just went to work last summer and then came back and had such an impactful season for us.
“He was one of our most important players in terms of his ability to get into the paint and create things for us. I love the way he improved his passing, as well.”
So, yes, worthy of award consideration, Spoelstra said, “I would love to see him get that award, and I think he’s deserving of it.”
A media poll, one concluded ahead of the playoffs, determines the award winner.
“I think I leave that up to the voters, whoever votes,” Jaquez said. “I appreciate my teammates and my coaches for always supporting me through this year, giving me a lot of confidence to be able to go out and play my game. But for the most part, I’ll leave that to the voters. I’ve got 70 whatever games to show my game.”
Jaquez’s lone previous NBA award was being named first-team All-Rookie in 2024, after being selected at No. 18 in the 2023 draft out of UCLA. At UCLA, he won the Lute Olson Award in 2023 as top NCAA Division I player, the same year he was named Pac-12 Player of the Year.
