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'He will always surprise me' | Rookie Josh Primo is keeping Austin Spurs head coach on his toes

The rookie guard is amazing Austin's head coach Bozic.

SAN ANTONIO — After another short stint with San Antonio, rookie guard Josh Primo is heading back to the G League's Austin Spurs to continue to hone his skills.

And he'll continue to keep head coach Petar Bozic's head on a swivel at what the promising NBA player will have in store for him in the days ahead.

The Spurs rookie is playing well in the G League showing his ability on both ends of the court.

He showed that when his offensive game is off, he can contribute with defense by recording four blocks in one game. 

He also demonstrated his ability to pour in the points with a 20-plus scoring second-half outburst in an Austin win this season.

His play is enough to leave Bozic pleasantly surprised.

"He will always surprise me with something new and an amazing thing on the court," Bozic said.

On court theatrics aside, Bozic is seeing just how talented Primo is outside of just the stat box. 

RELATED: 'I love how he plays defense' | Austin head coach applauds Spurs' Josh Primo's defense, physicality

"He was playing with decisiveness," Bozic said after Austin's second win of the season. "Really using his talent fully. He is also engaged defensively in the second half as well."

It is not just in Austin where Primo is turning heads.

In San Antonio's Monday's match against Washington, he got playing time during a close first half.

And just like in Austin, Primo wasn't afraid to take the outside shot connecting on two three-pointers and showing immense confidence.

“He’s, as we’ve seen in the past, confident. He’s not impressed with anything. He just goes out and plays," Gregg Popovich said. "He’s pretty fundamentally sound, and he’s got a good aggressiveness for somebody so young.”

The signs that the Spurs possibly drafted a gem began at the 2021 NBA Summer League. 

He displayed an array of skills, appearing in four games and averaged 14.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 25.2 minutes.

"He showed playing in the preseason with the Spurs what he is capable of," Bozic said. 

The 6-4, 189 pounds Primo is certainly showing he has the potential to be a solid two-way player at the NBA level. With Austin, he is averaging 16.6 points along with 3.6 assists in 27.5 minutes in five games.

Credit: AP
San Antonio Spurs' Josh Primo, left, and Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal talk after an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 29, 2021, in San Antonio. San Antonio won 116-99. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

However, he'll likely see more trips between San Antonio and Austin in his rookie season but that is just part of the Spurs' developmental process.

It'll take time on the court, a better understanding of the NBA, and experience for the Spurs rookie to develop.

But he is already a fan favorite and is proving naysayers wrong when San Antonio selected him on draft night.

Now it's just a matter of building him up and it largely begins with Bozic and in Austin.

"Now he just needs to continue to build all the habits as a pro player and bring his talent consistently every day and in practice every day," said Bozic.

 Twitter: @KENS5, @JeffGSpursKENS5

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