Butler Recognizes His Successor…’Mexican Butler’ Emerges
Rave reviews for Rookie of the Year Butler.
The Miami Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers 142-132 in the 2023-2024 NBA regular season at the Casilla Center in Miami, Florida, USA on Monday (Jan. 1).
Ace Jimmy Butler led the Heat 온라인카지노 to victory with a huge performance of 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 20 free throws.
The next best player to Butler was rookie Jaime Hakez Jr. Hakez scored 24 points and grabbed five rebounds, with 14 of his points coming in the fourth quarter. Hakez was highly efficient from the field, making 7 of 13 shots on the night, and had the poise to make all 7 of his free throws.
Hakez’s performance was not limited to this game. In his last six games, Hakez is averaging 18.6 points, five rebounds, and three assists. With Tyler Hiro out with an injury, Hakez is the third most reliable offensive option behind Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Hakez was selected by Miami with the 18th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. At the time, Hakez’s selection was considered a surprise. Hakez is an old player for a rookie, having graduated in 2001 after four years at UCLA. There were some who thought he could be an immediate force in the NBA because of his maturity and skill set, but the draft is usually focused on future value. In that regard, Hakez was not favored.
However, the Miami brass went with Hakez. In an interview after selecting Hakez, Miami explained why they chose him, saying, “He’s everything we want in a player,” and that’s exactly what he is. And at this point, it looks like a stroke of genius.
In college, Hakez was compared to Jimmy Butler and Dermar Drojan. That’s because he has very good footwork. In today’s NBA, you can find players with fancy dribbling skills, but it’s rare to find players who are good at footwork down to the basics. This is because footwork is not a skill that can be taught to you, it’s something you have to learn. Hakez is a player with perfect footwork skills.
Funnily enough, Hakez, who was dubbed the “next Butler” in college, was drafted by Butler’s team, Miami. Hakez was thrilled to get to Miami. “Butler is my idol, and I want to learn a lot from him,” he said.
And in Miami, Hakez has been called Butler’s heir apparent. Although he’s a forward, his post-up offense, lack of a three-point shot, accurate mid-range shooting, vision for his teammates, and grit and hustle resemble Butler’s.
Hakez’s defense, which was a weakness in college, has held up so far. He’s not quite Butler’s caliber of defender, but he’s an average defender, and he’s fitting into Miami’s defensive system.
After the game against Indiana, Butler said, “Hakez looks like me. But he’s showing what I showed when I was 28, 29, and he’s showing it now.”
Teammates Josh Richardson and Caleb Martin echoed the sentiment, saying that Hakez and Butler have a lot in common.
“It’s an honor to be compared to Butler,” said Hakez. Butler is a player who has so much to learn from the sidelines. I want to absorb everything he has to offer.”
Although he was born in the United States, Vázquez has played for the Mexican national team. That’s because his grandfather was an immigrant who came to the United States from Mexico. He has Mexican blood in his veins, and in his postgame interview against Indiana, Mexican media asked him if he would ever play for the Mexican national team. For this reason, he is often referred to as the “Mexican Butler” in the United States.
It looks like Miami, the masters of player development, have found another steal. The Heat got Adebayo (#14) and Hiro (#13) in relatively low draft spots. If Hakez continues to perform, he could join those ranks.