Jaime Jaquez Jr. emerging as early Sixth Man of the Year candidate for Heat

The Miami Heat secured their fifth win of the season Friday night in convincing fashion, defeating the Charlotte Hornets 126–108. Miami set the tone immediately, exploding for a franchise-record 53 points in the first quarter and outscoring Charlotte by 20 in the opening period. The early offensive surge allowed the Heat to control the game throughout, even as the Hornets attempted to rally late.

Norman Powell led Miami in scoring with 25 points on 10-for-20 shooting across 27 minutes, continuing his steady production as a veteran presence. Andrew Wiggins added 22 points, and Pelle Larsson delivered a highly efficient 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting. But once again, Jaime Jaquez Jr. delivered the most complete performance of the night.

Jaquez finished with 18 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and two blocks, falling just shy of a triple-double. His ability to contribute across the board has been a defining trait during his strong start to the season. Coming off the bench in all of Miami’s games, Jaquez has carved out a clear role as one of the most impactful non-starters in the league.

Through the early portion of the season, Jaquez is averaging 17.4 points per game, placing him 57th in the NBA in scoring but third among players who have started 50 percent or fewer of their games. Only Jerami Grant of Portland and Quentin Grimes of Philadelphia rank ahead of him among bench-heavy rotation players.

Jaquez has paired volume with elite efficiency, shooting 59.8 percent from the field. He also ranks No. 1 in the league in defensive rating and sits fourth in net rating, trailing only Nikola Jokic, Miami teammate Dru Smith and Jarrett Allen.

With that combination of production, efficiency and two-way impact, Jaquez has positioned himself as an early frontrunner for the Sixth Man of the Year award. If he maintains this level of play, he will remain firmly in the conversation throughout the season.

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