Bill Simmons and Tim Legler argue the Heat forward’s “bounce-back” season should disqualify him from the award, despite his transformative impact in Miami.
MIAMI — Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s resurgent season for the Miami Heat has been one of the league’s most compelling storylines, catapulting him into the early conversation for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. However, his candidacy is now at the center of a heated debate, sparked by two of the game’s most prominent voices.
On a recent podcast, ESPN analyst Tim Legler praised Jaquez’s return to form, stating, “Jaime Jaquez has really bounced back from like last year when I was kind of like, man, because I liked him so much when he first came into the league and I didn’t know what was going on. He looks great this year.”
Nov 8, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) brings the ball up the court against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
This prompted a pointed question from The Ringer’s Bill Simmons: “Can you win Most Improved just because you sucked the year before and you were super disappointing and then you became good again?”
Simmons then laid out his argument for disqualification: “If you reached a level, and for him it was just a rookie year, but still he played at a certain level, and then you take a big dip and then you reclaim that, plus maybe a little bit more right over what you were? No, I think he should be probably disqualified from that award.” Legler concurred, and Simmons concluded, “This is the guy we thought he was going to be last year… So yeah, you don’t qualify. Sorry Jaime Jaquez.”
The Case For and Against the “Bounce-Back”
The analysts’ stance highlights the perennial subjectivity of the Most Improved Player award. Jaquez’s statistics tell a story of a dramatic leap, not just a return.
After a rookie season averaging 11.8 points on 48.9% shooting, his production dipped last year to 8.6 points on 46% shooting, and he fell out of the rotation. This season, he has exploded, posting career highs across the board: 17.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game on a highly efficient 54.4% from the field.
The improvement is quantifiable far beyond his rookie numbers:
Finishing at the rim: Up to ~74% (a 15% increase from last season).
Mid-Range Shooting: 45.6% on twos beyond five feet (a 10% improvement).
Playmaking: Doubled his assists while posting career-best assist-to-turnover ratios.
Most importantly, his on-court impact is staggering. The Heat outscore opponents by 13.48 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor and are outscored by 11.45 points when he sits—a net swing of nearly 25 points.
While the “bounce-back” narrative is valid, Jaquez’s current performance represents a clear evolution of his game, establishing him as a more complete and efficient player than the promising rookie he once was. The debate is sure to rage on, but his value to the Heat’s success is undeniable.