Among all the surprises of this early season and the end of the year, one player stands out more than the others: the 6’2” spark plug that is Jamaree Bouyea. With 7 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3
stocks in just under 15 minutes, the San Francisco native, who joined the team in mid‑November, keeps impressing the fanbase.
But his impact on advanced data is even bigger than you’d expect.
A silent and efficient catalyst
Listed as a secondary ball‑handler, Bouyea stands out above all for his decision‑making and his offensive versatility. He can pull up from three, handle the ball to manipulate space, create his own shot or connect the play when an advantage already exists. He’s not an elite creator or passer: he plays clean, he plays within himself, but he’s not the guy who’s going to manufacture a high‑value look out of three broken actions.
His real offensive strength lies in his driving ability and his body control, both on the ground and in the air. As early as the 2021 scouting reports, he was already described as having “remarkable offensive footwork” and “deadly changes of pace and crossovers when attacking the rim.”
In other words: even before entering the NBA, Bouyea was identified as a driver with an explosive first step, capable of finishing over or around much bigger players.
With the Suns, after bouncing around several franchises and their G‑League teams, Bouyea has emerged as one of the quiet but essential revelations of the season. His offensive efficiency has reached a level rarely seen: 154.8 PSA, 6.5% TOV, a perfectly controlled game that fits his second‑unit role like a glove. Clean, efficient, and exactly what this roster needed.
His 75.6% eFG, backed by 47% from three, makes him one of the most profitable role players in the league. Sure, the volume is limited, but what he’s producing right now deserves to be highlighted. With a TS+ of 122, he’s outperforming league‑average efficiency by a wide margin, confirming his status as a silent but indispensable catalyst in the Suns’ success.
Defensively, Bouyea brings constant activity, illustrated by a 1.9% BLK% and 1.9% STL%, proof of his ability to disrupt passing lanes and contest at the rim. He compensates for his lack of size with, once again, sharp decision‑making and high‑level feel, allowing him not just to survive defensively, but to actually contribute.
His impact on Phoenix’s game
Beyond his individual numbers, Bouyea’s impact is crystal clear in the team’s performance when he’s on the floor: a +15.2 Net Rating, the second‑best mark on the team behind Isaiah Livers (+21.1). League‑wide, he ranks in the 96th percentile among point guards (via Cleaning the Glass). He’s just as impactful in the halfcourt (+13.6 pts/play) as he is in transition (+20 pts/play).
The team posts a +10.9 eFG% boost with him on the floor, which is a massive jump that shows how his direct, downhill style smooths out possessions. His presence in the second unit immediately reshapes the offensive geometry: rim attempts increase by +4.3 percentage points, while the rest of the shot profile tightens up. Bouyea pushes the offense toward more profitable zones without drifting into low‑value shots, exactly what you want from a disciplined secondary guard on a team that tends to waste possessions.
Except for the mid‑range, where the team stays neutral, every area of the floor becomes more efficient when he’s out there. The Suns shoot +10% better at less than 4 feet, proof of the pressure he puts on the defense and his ability to create easy finishes for himself or others. And from three, the effect is even more striking: +11.6% team accuracy, a rare indicator that shows how his drives, his first step and his pull‑up threat open cleaner looks for his teammates.
In short: Bouyea isn’t just individually efficient. He raises the efficiency of the entire group simply through the nature of his game: direct, aggressive, clean, and perfectly calibrated to maximize every possession.
Jamaree Bouyea may not be the most anticipated player, nor the one people talk about the most, but he embodies exactly what a modern role player should be: reliable, disciplined, efficient, and capable of impacting a game without ever dominating the ball. His stint in Phoenix shows that you can transform a rotation simply by playing the right way, attacking the right zones, and bringing constant energy on both ends.
And with the recent announcement of Jalen Green’s extended recovery timeline, there’s little doubt Bouyea will keep earning trust — and keep making noise, one way or another.
