There is no doubt that it has been an exciting first season for Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., selected out of UCLA with the 18th overall pick. He already has been an integral piece in the Heat’s rotation as he spoke about reflecting on the season so far with nine games left.

The 23-year old star has won back to back Eastern Conference rookie of the month awards as he filled in for star Jimmy Butler when he missed significant time, and excelled with his opportunities. Since then, he is one of the first players to come off the bench for Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and is a focal point as Jaquez said that the “biggest challenge” for him in his first year was how long the season really is according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“I think the biggest challenge is the longevity of the season,” Jaquez said. “It’s a lot of games and I think you never understand what that is until you get there. I think that’s kind of been the biggest thing for me, just enduring the games and the longevity of the season.”

As subtly mentioned before, the Heat have had continuous injury problems this season which has been a gateway for Jaquez to step and run away with the opportunity in front of him. He has so far appeared in 66 games, which is a team-high for any player as the others to play in at least 60 are Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson.

Jaquez taking the time to be grateful, appreciate everything around him

Even as a rookie, he is trying to step back and “appreciate everything” which could be how a veteran looks at the game which was a common saying about Jaquez even before the season. For the UCLA product, there’s a sense that he doesn’t take for granted what he does for as a profession.

“Take myself out of my shoes and appreciate everything,” Jaquez said. “Take a really grateful and thankful approach that I get to do what I love. This is the job that I get to do and I love it. Then try to relax sometimes. Lay by the pool, relax, enjoy the Miami sun and try to have a balance.”

Jaquez talking about hitting the rookie wall

Despite still having a standout year, there has been a dip in production for the rookie which could be attributed to a bunch of different reasons. It could be because Miami is a deep team so as injured players get healthy, there’s less opportunity or it could be that Jaquez has hit the “rookie wall” like most do.

“It could be many things,” Jaquez said. “I don’t want to put it on one particular thing. I think most of it is just me just trying to be mentally ready. I’m just going out there trying to play my game and do what I can to help the team win.”

Jaquez averaged 14 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from three-point range before injuring his groin in mid-January. After the injury, the numbers have gone down, but it’s also because opposing teams are scouting the rookie as a legitimate threat which he sees as a “sign of respect.”

“I take it as a sign of respect,” Jaquez said per Chiang. “Guys got to worry about me now. That’s what you want as a player. Now my next step is how do I adjust to the new coverages that I see and how I can make the right play. When the double team is coming, how can I manipulate the defense? That’s kind of one of the biggest things that we talk about. Use my pull of the defense to get guys open and how to manipulate and get great shots.”

Jaquez talks the Heat’s sense of urgency with nine games left

With nine games left in the season, Jaquez said to ClutchPoints earlier in the week that the sense of urgency is at an “all-time high.” The Heat are currently seventh in a tightly packed Eastern Conference where every game impacts the team positively or negatively depending on the outcome.

“I would say it’s definitely a sense of urgency,” Jaquez said. “Obviously the playoff are right around the corner. This is the time of the year where everyone contends for a great spot and that’s position that we’re in so the urgency is at an all-time high.”

Jaquez speaks on his health

While Jaquez has a good chance to finish as the player with the most games played, he did miss a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers last Sunday due to ankle discomfort and is still on the injury report with that. However, he told ClutchPoints after last Thursday’s practice that he feels good and has been “taking a lot of time with the trainers.”

“I’m feeling good right now,” Jaquez said. “I’ve been taking a lot of time with the trainers, doing everything I can to get my body in a prime position that it needs to be in, but I’m feeling great right now, they’ve been doing a great job with me and I’m feeling good.”

“This is what we’re paid to do is play basketball,” Jaquez continued. “So trying to get out there as fast as I can, especially, things are bothering me and even if they are, still trying to play through little injuries. I mean, it’s not just me, it’s everybody around the league, it’s just that time of the year, 82 games is a long season. And this is where the mental toughness comes in.”

The Heat are 40-33 on the season and have a ton of momentum after beating the Portland Trail Blazers by a franchise-record 60 points. After going on the road for one game against the Wizards, Miami comes back home for two games next week.