'Not Surprised One Bit': How Spurs' Jamaree Bouyea Continues to Prove Worth in Summer League

After a rocky start in Sacramento at the California Classic, the San Antonio Spurs' summer league squad has won three straight in Las Vegas. At the forefront of that charge has been elusive point guard Jamaree Bouyea.

Jul 13, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Jamaree Bouyea (15) shoots against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second quarter at Thomas & Mack Center. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

A weary sigh immediately preceded the first two words out of Jamaree Bouyea's mouth during his post-game interview in Las Vegas Tuesday evening.

"I'm tired," the San Antonio Spurs' summer league point guard admitted.

He had reason to be. It had just been a few minutes since the end of San Antonio's third matchup of the NBA's 2K25 Summer League against the New Orleans Pelicans, and it had secured a win — thanks to Bouyea. The 25-year-old guard notched 14 points and recorded twos everywhere else.

What does that look like, exactly?

Well, Bouyea's box score showed two rebounds, two assists, two 3-pointers, two steals and two blocks. What it didn't show, however, was that he also nailed two clutch shots with under one minute to play to ice the game in favor of the Silver & Black.

"I didn't make shots early tonight," Bouyea said of his performance. "But toward the end of the game, my team needed me to step up, and that's what I tried to do."

JAMAREE 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/vHU1i7Zr41

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) July 17, 2024

READ MORE: Behind the Scenes of Spurs' Summer League With D.J. Horne

In the moment, Bouyea was clearly the best player on the court. Prior to those final two shots, he was just 2-9. He didn't shoot the lights out, but he came through when it mattered.

"Our offense was a little janky there at the end, but (he hit) two massive shots down the stretch," San Antonio's summer league coach Kenny Trevino said.

Beyond shooting, consistency has been one of Bouyea's greatest strengths throughout the summer season. As his final stats showed against the Pelicans, he's capable of impacting the floor in a multitude of ways, which was also the case in each of his prior two games.

Against the Portland Trail Blazers, Bouyea tallied four each blocks and steals to go along with six assists and double-digit points. Against the Atlanta Hawks, he notched one more point but nabbed three steals and three rebounds.

Perhaps that's what led to Trevino's smile when asked about Bouyea's skill set.

"I'm not surprised one bit," he said. "Jamaree was something else."

Jul 13, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Kennedy Chandler (54) shoots against San Antonio Spurs guard Jamaree Bouyea (15) during the fourth quarter at Thomas & Mack Center. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

As nice as it felt to make game-winning shots or to hear the announcer at Thomas & Mack Center yell "Bou-yah!" the guard maintained his poise. He took to heart Trevino's team-imposed motto.

"When you think about the Spurs as a team," Trevino said prior to the summer season. "(you think) playing in transition. Getting back on defense and setting (it) in the half court. Playing physical ... and then what you guys have seen for decades now. Playing as a team; playing together. It's not revolving around one person."

Not even Bouyea.

He himself made that clear.

"We all fight," Bouyea said. "No matter the score, we all want to leave our hearts and everything out there. ... We just want to win games, (no matter) who scores the most points or the most rebounds."

Winning wasn't a cake walk for San Antonio in any of its contests. The Spurs' margin of victory between all three of their games in Las Vegas sits at a combined 14 points, partially because of Stephon Castle's summer-ending injury that he sustained in Game 1, but also because of how young of a team they are.

Either way, the challenge stood.

"This is tremendous experience," Trevino said. "That's what this is for. This is going to help them moving forward. We've been in two close games, and our team was ready for it tonight."

"We lost Steph Castle when we (got) here," he added. "David Duke hasn't been with us. RaiQuon Gray ... It's been a slew of guys. It's been tough, but for them to stick together, it means a lot."

READ MORE: Stephon Castle to Miss Rest of Summer League With Wrist Sprain

However sticking together looks, Bouyea will be one of the driving forces. In his last three games, he proven his worth for the Spurs, who already liked what they saw enough to extend him a two-way offer at the end of last season.

Since showing out in Vegas, he's only helped his case more as the Spurs' roster continues to take shape. The hope for him is that he continues to do so.

And that the Spurs continue to win games.

"We've learned from our experiences," Bouyea said, acknowledging his team's rocky start in Sacramento at the California Classic. "Those first two games were tough for us ... but we prevailed."