Spurs Summer League guard has game and name to be a contributor

It only took a few seconds for the Thomas & Mack Center announcer to shout the most melodious name in Las Vegas Summer League: "Bouyea!"

Jamaree Bouyea, a 25-year-old guard, seems tiny for an NBA player. Listed at just 6-foot-2 and 181 pounds, Bouyea's skinny frame makes him look even smaller, but he plays big.

He had four blocks and four steals in San Antonio's 83-77 win over the Portland Trail Blazers Saturday, then scored off the opening tip in Sunday's game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Bouyea is reminiscent of another successful backup guard developed by the Spurs. Like Patty Mills, Bouyea was a first-team All-WCC guard, playing for San Francisco across the Bay from Mills' alma mater, St. Mary's.

He's undersized, but he's got a solid jump shot (37.4% on threes in the G League last year) and can run an offense, demonstrated by his sparkling assist-to-turnover ratio of 6.9:2.

But what really jumps out is Bouyea's athleticism. Despite being undersized, he's very active on defense, with quick hands and excellent timing. That's how he averaged 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks in his two G League seasons.

Plus, when Bouyea does something exciting, the PA announcer sounds like the late Stuart Scott yelling "Booyah!" The only way his name could be better suited for highlights is if his name was Jamaree Boomshakalaka.

The Spurs saw enough in Bouyea to give him a two-way deal late last season. For a team that needs reliable point guard play — 39-year-old Chris Paul is a steadying force, but will always miss 20+ games — Bouyea is an intriguing, cheap option.

After all, Bouyea's main job should be reliably getting the ball to Victor Wembanyama, something the Spurs struggled with last season.

He may never turn into a star or even a starter, but two games into Summer League, Bouyea seems like the kind of overlooked role player Gregg Popovich thrives on developing.

However, we're pretty sure Coach Pop has never yelled "Booyah!" before.