Jaquez to join Heat’s Summer League team in Las Vegas. And takeaways from Heat-Lakers game

Notes and takeaways from the Heat’s Summer League sojourn in California, including Wednesday’s 80-76 comeback win against the Lakers in Miami’s final game in San Francisco before moving onto Las Vegas:

▪ After being named to the NBA’s All Rookie Team two months ago, Jaime Jaquez Jr. will play a few games for the Heat in the Las Vegas Summer League over the next two weeks, the team confirmed Wednesday.

Jaquez has been in Las Vegas in recent days as a member of the Team USA Select squad.

“Excited to get him implemented into the team and see what he can do with our guys,” Heat Summer League coach Dan Bisaccio said.

Selected by the Heat (out of UCLA) with the 18th overall pick in last year’s draft, Jaquez averaged 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and one steal per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from three-point range.

He finished fourth in voting for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award that went to the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama.

Jaquez appeared in a team-high 75 games but missed the Heat’s season-ending loss in Game 5 of its first-round playoff series against Boston because of a hip injury.

Jaquez, 23, was just the seventh Heat rookie in franchise history to be selected for the All-Rookie First Team. The others to do it in a Heat uniform were Sherman Douglas (in 1989-90 season), Steve Smith (1991-92 season), Caron Butler (2002-03 season), Dwyane Wade (2003-04 season), Michael Beasley (2008-09 season) and Kendrick Nunn (2019-20 season).

Jaquez was joined on the All Rookie First Team by OKC’s Chet Holmgren, Charlotte’s Brandon Miller, Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski and Wembanyama.

The Summer League games will give Jaquez an opportunity to focus on one-on-one defense and three-point shooting; he cited those as areas he wants to improve this offseason.

“Just being able to be a lockdown defender, I think, is one of the things I’m looking forward to being in my coming years,” Jaquez said in May. “As well as just a consistent knockdown shooter. Those are probably the two biggest things for me.”

It’s not unusual for second-year players drafted in the first round to participate in Summer League, though not all of them do.

Bisaccio said another area of focus will be “to improve on his reads. On the offensive end, he did a great job in the post [last season]. We want to keep working those reads. He’s been working extremely hard. [And] he’s always working to become a better leader.”

▪ This was essentially Heat Summer League Lite that finished Miami’s three-game run in the California Classic.

Against the Lakers on Wednesday, the Heat did not play rookie draft picks Kel’El Ware and Pelle Larsson, sharpshooter Cole Swider and Colorado State rookie guard Isaiah Stevens, who has an Exhibit 10 contract for summer league.

Bisaccio said none of the four are injured; he praised all four and said he simply wanted to give opportunities to others on Wednesday.

Those others closed the game on a 12-0 run against the Lakers.

The Heat opened with a lineup of rookies Keshad Johnson and Zyon Pullin (who are both on two-way contracts), Alondes Williams (who was on a Heat two-way contract last season), former Rockets first-round pick Josh Cristopher and undrafted Texas Tech rookie center Warren Washington.

Point guard Dru Smith, the third player with a Heat two-way contract, is missing Summer League as he works his way back from last year’s early-season knee injury.

▪ Johnson, the undrafted rookie from Arizona, continued to impress with his high motor and ability to do several things well.

He was a whirlwind of activity in the first half, with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks, en route to finishing with 21 points, 9 rebounds, three blocks, three steals and three assists. He shot 8 for 14 from the field.

“I want to make an example of how much a Heat culture guy I am,” he said.

Two of Johnson’s blocks came at the rim, including one sequence when he quickly shuffled back on defense after missing a three.

His offensive game is fairly diverse; he hit a three (giving him four three pointers in three games in San Francisco) and displayed resourceful moves in the post, including one that resulted in a three-point play.

He’s a high effort player on the offensive glass and converted one offensive rebound into a put-back basket against the Lakers.

He also made a gorgeous bounce pass to Caleb Daniels for a layup in transition.

Then there was a reverse dunk late in the game.

After shooting 3 for 10 in the California Classic opener, Johnson has shot 12 for 20 and 4 for 8 on threes in the past two games.

Though no fans were permitted to attend Wednesday’s games at Chase Center, family members were allowed to watch. And Johnson, who was born across the bay in Oakland, had a loud contingent in attendance. “They were loud in an empty arena,” he said. “We all heard it.”

▪ Pullin had some good moments in San Francisco, but not necessarily enough to assure that he will keep his two-way contract. He needs a strong run in Las Vegas to remove any doubt.

On Wednesday, he made a nice pass to Washington for a dunk to open the game and hit a couple of sweet pull-up jumpers. But he also was blocked at the rim on another sequence.

Pullin finished with 10 points on 4 for 11 shooting, two assists and two turnovers. He entered shooting 5 for 11 with five assists and two turnovers.

▪ Williams, a high-volume scorer in the G-League, went on a scoring binge during the second quarter, scoring 11 in the first half and 21 for the game, on 9 for 22 shooting, and nine rebounds and two blocks.

He had a dynamic third quarter sequence, driving to the basket and dishing to Johnson for a layup, and then penetrating for a layup.

And he was big late, with several key plays during Miami’s late rally, including a dish to Neal Sako for a dunk that provided the Heat with the winning basket with under a minute left.

But there’s no clear pathway for a roster spot with Miami.

With Swider, it’s possible he could return on a two-way contract or simply sign a standard contract or two-way deal elsewhere.

If the Heat signs a 15th player to a standard contract before the start of the season, Miami would surpass the second apron, something it’s determined not to do because of punitive consequences.

▪ Among the others who played for the Heat on Wednesday, Christopher -- a former 24th overall pick of the Rockets -- made his case with a steal and dunk and a nifty dish to Pullin for a layup and a dunk to tie the game late. He finished with 11.

And Bisaccio singled out Daniels, who had nine points and four rebounds.

▪ The Lakers -- who got three points (1 for 3 shooting) from rookie Bronny James in 29 minutes -- rode a 17-0 run late in the first half and early in the third quarter to go ahead by 12, before the Heat surged ahead with a 12-0 run to close the game.

Miami finished 2-1 in San Francisco and now moves onto Las Vegas, where the Heat’s Summer League roster will play at least five games.

The first two: Saturday against Boston at 6:30 p.m. on NBA TV and Monday against Oklahoma City at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.