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Heat’s Jamaree Bouyea showing NBA life can come at you fast

Feb. 14, 2023
Heat’s Jamaree Bouyea showing NBA life can come at you fast

The lesson of how NBA life can come at you fast can be stark, particularly when working your way up in the G League, particularly when on a 10-day contract.

A week ago, Miami Heat prospect Jamaree Bouya was in New York, preparing for a game against the Nets, not quite sure where his basketball career was headed.

Tuesday, there again were preparations by the undrafted rookie guard for a game against the Nets, this time with the confidence that he could produce at the highest level.

The difference was last week the competition was the Long Island Nets, in a G League game, at a virtually empty Nassau Coliseum, while a member of the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

This week, it will be a Wednesday night game against the Brooklyn Nets, at Barclays Center, with Bouyea coming off a 10-point, three-assist performance in Monday night’s 112-108 loss to the Denver Nuggets at Miami-Dade Arena.

In one week, a whirlwind to the highest level of the game, the 23-year-old former All-West Coast Conference selection at the University of San Francisco still wrapping his head around the experience.

“We had a game in Long Island versus the Brooklyn Nets affiliate and like an hour or two before the game, my agent called me and told me I’d be having a 10-day with the Heat and it was a joyful moment,” Bouyea said of learning last Tuesday of his next basketball step. “I had to call my mom and let her know that I was going up with Miami.

“And then I had a game to play with the Skyforce. So I enjoyed the moment for an hour or two and then got ready to play another game.”

And then it got real. Kyle Lowry sidelined again by knee pain, Victor Oladipo out with an ankle sprain and then, Monday night, Tyler Herro unable to go because of a knee bruise.

Suddenly, with his NBA experience limited to time with the Heat in summer league and training camp, and then a pair of NBA cameos in wins against the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic, there was 28:16 to be played Monday night against the top team in the Western Conference.

No, this wasn’t South Dakota development anymore. It was South Florida, and it was real, called upon by coach Erik Spoelstra to play as the Heat’s backup point guard.

“I think for the first two games, I was just trying to find my role and find my spots on the court and make the right plays,” Bouyea said. “With Tyler being out and Kyle being out and my teammates and Coach Spo believing in me, they just instilled confidence in me and told me to shoot the ball when I was open and make plays.

“So I think getting out there and getting comfortable was the biggest thing I had to do.”

The advantage is the Heat running a mirror system with the Skyforce. So while there was adjusting on the fly, there also was institutional knowledge.

“We have the same philosophy, everything in Sioux Falls,” Spoelstra said. “We’re in constant communication when the guys are there. And probably the most important thing is whenever the guys have gotten opportunities with us, they’ve actually contributed to wins.

“But he also earned this 10-day for a reason, because he played well in his time at Sioux Falls and helped contribute in a meaningful way to wins.”

As he almost did Monday night, shooting 4 of 8 from the field, including 2 of 4 on 3-pointers.

“Down in Sioux Falls, I was just trying to go day by day and just go game by game and continue to perform how I was doing,” the 6-foot-2 guard said. “And I think the Heat staff, Coach Spo and all the assistant coaches, as well, and the front office kind of stayed in touch and they just told me to just keep being patient and keep playing hard, my time will come — and now I’m here.”

With a trial under fire when there was no Plan B at backup point guard Monday behind Gabe Vincent.

“It’s tough,” said Heat guard Max Strus, who previously made the G League-to-NBA jump. “You’re coming up here from the G League and being asked to play and help on a team that’s trying to make a little run here. So we asked a lot of him and we wanted him to be more aggressive. We wanted him to be himself. We know he’s a heck of a player, so he stepped up and showed what he was capable of.”

The 10-day contract expires shortly after the Heat return next week from the All-Star break. Then, there could be another such deal, or the Heat could instead sign a veteran from the buyout market, sending Bouyea back to Sioux Falls.

“I feel if we keep him around,” center Bam Adebayo said, “he’ll continue to show he can really play basketball.”

All while appreciating the ride, with Bouyea handling his postgame media session Monday night in a Skyforce hoodie.

“I was on the road with the Skyforce,” he said with a smile, “and this is all I had in my suitcase.”

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