Jaime Jaquez Jr. becomes latest Heat player to miss time with injury. But Jimmy Butler is back

During a season that has been filed with injury issues for the Miami Heat, rookie revelation Jaime Jaquez Jr. is the only player on the roster who has appeared in each of the first 39 games this season.

But that streak is over, as Jaquez will miss Monday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on the back end of a back-to-back set after exiting Sunday’s 104-87 home win over the Charlotte Hornets early with a strained left groin. He did not travel with the team to Brooklyn for the start of the quick two-game trip that ends Wednesday against the Raptors in Toronto.

“I take a lot of pride in being able to be available and play games even through things that are hurting and little injuries here and there,” Jaquez said. “But I think at this point, this is something that we have to take a little more serious and take some time to just recuperate and get myself 100 percent.”

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Jaquez, 22, said he first felt the pain in his groin after going up for a dunk in transition with 3:26 left in the first quarter of Sunday’s victory over the Hornets.

“It just didn’t feel that well when I took off,” Jaquez said. “It slowly started to get worse throughout the duration of the game and then it was getting toward halftime, I was talking with [Heat assistant coach Caron Butler] and we talked it over. He said I should tell the trainers when we get to the back. We came to the decision to shut it down, not try to make anything worse.”

Jaquez made his 15th start of the season on Sunday, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 15 first-half minutes before being held out of the second half. He scored all 15 of his points in the opening period, which went down as his highest-scoring quarter of the season.

Jaquez also suffered a strained left groin this preseason, missing two weeks with the injury before returning for the start of the regular season. But Jaquez and the team’s medical staff don’t believe this latest groin injury is as severe as the first one.

“I don’t think it’s as bad as the one in the preseason,” said Jaquez, who the Heat drafted with the 18th overall pick out of UCLA this past summer. “And I think especially since we’re on it early, I’m going to make a very quick and smooth recovery.”

Among NBA rookies this season, Jaquez entered Monday ranked third in points per game (14), 11th in rebounds per game (3.9), seventh in assists per game (2.7), second in steals per game (1.1) and second in minutes per game (30.2). And among the five rookies who have attempted more than 10 field-goal attempts per game this season, Jaquez holds the second-best field-goal percentage (51.3 percent) behind only Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren.

But Jaquez’s standout rookie season is now on pause, adding to the Heat’s long list of injuries that it has needed to overcome.

The Heat entered Monday with the fourth-most missed games in the league this season due to injury, according to Spotrac’s tracker.

“I feel like one guy comes back, another one goes out,” Heat guard Tyler Herro said on Sunday. “But it’s part of an NBA season. We just got to keep our heads high and continue to work through the moving parts.”

EARNING WADE’S RESPECT

While Jaquez may currently be unavailable because of his injury, he has already caught the attention of Heat icon Dwyane Wade.

“First of all, Jaime is a baller,” Wade said to reporters during “Dwyane Wade Hall of Fame Night” on Sunday shortly after the Heat surprised him by announcing that there will be a bronze Wade statue in front of Kaseya Center later this year.

When told about Wade’s comment, Jaquez returned the favor by praising Wade.

“It feels great,” Jaquez said. “He’s a guy I want to make proud. This is his organization, this is his team. It’s Dade County. So any compliment from him means a lot.”

Despite growing up in California, Jaquez called Wade “one of my favorite players of all time.”

“Dwyane Wade getting his statue, no guy deserves it more than him,” Jaquez said. “Big inspiration to me growing up, even being on the West Coast, he’s one of my favorite players of all time. Just to be able to have this moment and get this win for him on this special night means a lot.”

INJURY REPORT

While Jaquez will miss Monday’s road game against the Nets, Jimmy Butler (right toe MP joint sprain) will return after missing the last seven games with a toe injury.

Kyle Lowry, who was initially listed as doubtful with a sprained left hand, is also available to play against the Nets.

However, the Heat will be without Jaquez, Kevin Love (left knee contusion), RJ Hampton (G League), Jamal Cain (G League) and Dru Smith (season-ending knee surgery). Love did not travel with the team to Brooklyn, but he has not been ruled out yet for Wednesday’s game in Toronto.

The Nets, which has not played since falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday in France, ruled out Noah Clowney (G League), Keon Johnson (G League), Day’Ron Sharpe (left knee hyperextension), Ben Simmons (lower back nerve impingement), Dariq Whitehead (G League) and Jalen Wilson (G League) for Monday’s game against the Heat.