Heat first-round pick wants to emulate Jimmy Butler's 'ultimate toughness'

Former UCLA forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. is heading to a team that has his favorite player.

When the Miami Heat selected the UCLA star with the No. 18 overall pick in the NBA Draft, they got a player who wants to be just like Jimmy Butler. 

Heat vice president Adam Simon said that Butler is Jaquez's "favorite player."

"He’s a student of the game," Simon said, per the Sun Sentinel. "He spends a lot of time with it, so I can see where he picked that up.”

Ironically enough, Jaquez was asked last month what player he can emulate. His answer? Butler.

“I would try to say Jimmy Butler was a guy that I really like and really I feel like I could be a lot like him,” Jaquez said.

Jaquez pointed to Butler's competitiveness and "ultimate toughness" as reasons he wants to be like him. 

"That’s who he is, and that’s what I try to be every single day," Jaquez shared. "He elevates his team and he just knows how to play. He always tries to make the right play and I try to emulate that in my game.”

Playing time for the 6-foot-7 Jaquez will have to be earned. The Heat were in the NBA Finals and strive to get back there next season. He'll have to be efficient to see the floor. Jaquez said his plan is to play good defense, get rebounds and do "all the little things."

Jaquez did all the little things right at UCLA and will go down as one of the best players in Bruins history. The forward ranks eighth all-time in points at UCLA (1,802), eighth in steals (178) and 11th in rebounds (842) in school history. Jaquez solidified his draft status with a steady 2022-23 season where he averaged 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. 

When evaluating Jaquez's on-court production and his film-room prowess and mental fortitude, it's apparent that he checked all the boxes for Miami. 

"He’s a winner. He’s a competitor. I think he’s going to be a favorite of our coaching staff," Simon said. "A guy that you just really enjoy coaching. I think he’s a great teammate and hoop junkie. I think he really fits with us.”

This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship between Jaquez and Butler. While Butler is 33 years old, he still has gas left in the tank. There's still valuable time for him to take Jaquez under his wing and do something special in Miami.