Jaime Jaquez Jr.'s scoring earned plenty of deserved flowers last season, but his passing went under the radar. It's arguably the most underrated part of his game. Looking at how the Milwaukee Bucks are built, given their surplus of ball-handling guards, this overlooked part of Jaquez's arsenal could take a step in the wrong direction.
Jaquez's passing could take a step back
Without many primary ball-handlers on their roster, and with Tyler Herro spending a sizeable chunk of the season injured, Jaquez saw plenty of responsibility within the offense in Miami last season. He looked comfortable as a passer, having dished out 348 assists, the second-most in the entire league among bench players. It was nearly 200 more than he had in the previous season, showing growth.
Now, rather than building off his career year, Jaquez will face an uphill battle whether he's coming off the bench or starting. Unlike last year's Heat team, the Bucks have plenty of guard talent, including a trio of Tyler Herro, Ryan Rollins, and Kevin Porter Jr., but also the young duo of Kasparas Jakucionis and Brayden Burries. All of those players will want the ball, and it could take away from Jaquez.
Jaquez's passing is too good not to use
Passing isn't how Jaquez will make his money, as his second-unit scoring led the entire league in total points last season, but it can be an incredibly useful tool.
How much ball-handling responsibility Jaquez earns could depend on where he fits into the rotation. Obviously, he will be featured, but one of the bigger uncertainties surrounding him right now is when he will come into the game. Will he start, or will the Bucks keep Jaquez coming off the bench to build off his runner-up finish in last year's Sixth Man of the Year race?
Starting could actually limit Jaquez's ball-handling time. Playing alongside Herro and Rollins or Porter often could take away from his responsibility as both a scorer and passer. It wouldn't be surprising to see Taylor Jenkins keep Jaquez in his sixth-man role and have him orchestrate the second unit most nights alongside Rollins or Porter, depending on which one doesn't start.
With all of the Milwaukee Bucks' guard talent in tow, Jaquez almost certainly won't shatter his career-high in assists once again, but it's still a valuable tool for this team to put to good use.
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