Player Recap: Jamaree Bouyea

Two NBA Call-Ups, spots on the All-NBA G League Second Team and NBA G League All-Rookie Team and an appearance to the Western Conference Finals.

Jamaree Bouyea checked a lot of boxes and put together one of the best résumés in recent memory during his rookie campaign with the Skyforce.

His ascension to one of the best players in the NBA G League started with a 2022 Summer League invite with the Miami HEAT.

"He has shown so much growth since then," Skyforce Head Coach Kasib Powell said. "He does a lot in the community and his growth on-and-off the court is showed with his play. He does things the right way and works hard, and that is starting to show at the professional level."

Bouyea's play earned him a crack at training camp and preseason with the HEAT, where he gave fans a glimpse of what was to come, as he averaged 8.5 points on 60.9 percent from the field (50 percent from deep).

In just JB's third G League game, he scored 27 points on 12-18 FGA and added nine rebounds and eight assists in a victory over Fort Wayne on Nov. 10. Less than two weeks later, he followed that up with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists on the road at Wisconsin. His triple double was just the second in franchise history since the 2018-19 season.

In 16 Showcase Cup games, Bouyea averaged 15.1 points on 49.5 percent shooting, 7.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.3 steals per 35.5 minutes a game. He was one of two G League players to post 15-plus points, seven-plus rebounds, six-plus assists and two-plus steals in the Showcase Cup.

In back-to-back games in January (Jan. 6 & 9), he would compile stat lines of 27 points, five rebounds, five assists and three blocks, career-high 34 points on 11-20 FGA, six rebounds and seven assists.

A few days later, Bouyea made returned just 25 miles from his hometown of Seaside, CA for a back-to-back with the Santa Cruz Warriors. His big second half (14-of-19 points and five-of-seven assists) helped the Skyforce earn the first victory at Kaiser Permanente Arena since 2016-17.

His consistent play throughout January would earn Bouyea a 10-day contract with the HEAT on Feb. 8, where he would play in four games with Miami.

In less than two weeks after his first 10-day, the Washington Wizards inked Bouyea to another 10-day contract.

"Being consistent and gaining confidence has paid off," Bouyea said. "A lot of work has been put in since Summer League to get to this point. Keeping in mind that I want to reach the NBA and that motivation is what keeps me going."

He returned to the Skyforce for the final four games of the regular season and helped the team crack a playoff berth for the first time since 2015-16, as he finished the regular season with 18.6 points on 55 percent shooting, 5.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 block per 34.6 minutes a game.

Bouyea provided steady play during the playoff run, capped by a 20-point, 11-rebound and six-assist night in the Western Conference Finals. In his last 14 games with Sioux Falls, the Skyforce posted a 12-2 record.

"His impact on this team is through the roof," Powell said. "Jamaree is a great playmaker, but he gets his teammates involved and makes them better. That is the sign of a true professional."