Victor Wembanyama was the center of attention in the 2023 NBA Draft. The French phenom was touted as the best prospect entering the league and drew comparisons to the likes of LeBron James and Tim Duncan even before his NBA debut. With such expectations from the San Antonio Spurs rookie, every single one of his moves becomes a media spectacle, drawing constant praise even from the NBA royalty. However, under the glitz and glamour of the generational prospect, the other incredible draft prospects were kind of pushed aside. To add to their woes, the 2022 second-overall pick, Chet Holmgren, has also made his season debut this year following his Lisfranc injury.

Now, with the NBA season in full swing, it’s time for the bottom draft picks to prove their mettle and make a stronger case for the Rookie of the Year award. But the 2023 18th overall pick Jaime Jaquez Jr. has his sights set on a championship rather than racing Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren for the ROTY title.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. doesn’t pay attention to Wemby and Holmgren

After the Miami Heat lost out on the Damian Lillard sweepstakes, rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. has emerged as a beacon of light for the injury-plagued Heat contingent. At 6’6″, Jaime has neither the height nor the skill set to compete with Wembanyama and Holmgren. Despite that, he has proved his worth in every single game.

Through 20 games, he is averaging 11.9 points to go along with 3.9 and 2.5 assists on 52.5% shooting from the field and 39.3% from downtown. Although he was not a lottery pick, he is already competing to be one of the top rookies this season. The Bruins standout is fifth in ESPN’s PER (Player Efficiency Rating), second in estimated wins added (1.0), and second in value-added among rookies.

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In an interview with Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto, the UCLA alum divulged that he is more focused on winning games. As he said, and we quote, “If you win, everything else will come with it.” When asked about comparisons to Wemby and Holmgren, JJJ simply answered, “I don’t really pay attention to that. I’m focused on winning games, whether I was a rookie or not. That’s my main focus – win games. As far as that conversation, it’s not something I pay attention to.”

Where’s JJJ’s ceiling?

The Heat rookie has made impressive strides through the first few games of his first season. He has proven that he can come through in clutch moments. A recent example is his fourth-quarter performance against the Indiana Pacers. He scored 14 of his season-high 24 points in the final quarter to help the Heat clinch a 142-132 win and snap a three-game losing streak.

However, many believe that since he graduated with a four-year college degree, he has a lower ceiling compared to younger prospects like Wemby or Chet, who did not follow the conventional college route. This was also one of the few reasons why he was drafted out of the lottery despite averaging 17.8 points in his final year.

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However, four-year college grads like Fred VanVleet and Austin Reaves went undrafted into their draft and are now considered All-Star talent, challenging the stereotype about college graduates in the NBA. Speaking to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, JJJ said, “Speaking for myself, I don’t think I’ve hit my maximum potential yet.”

Who do you think will win the race for the Rookie of the Year title? Let us know in the comments!

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