As we inch closer to NBA All-Star Weekend, a lot of the attention has gradually shifted from nightly competition to the upcoming draft. In what should be considered one of the most talented drafts ever, there is constant discussion and debate surrounding who should get selected first overall. While it goes without saying, the trio of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cam Boozer have been atop draft boards all season long. The crazy thing? There might be five or more All-Stars taken after this grouping. That being said, let’s take a closer look at each of those three, highlighting one per day, moving onto Cameron Boozer…
Although folks will debate about who should be selected where, no prospect in recent memory has a more unique juxtaposition than Boozer. Despite being arguably the most winningest high school basketball player ever and dominating college opponents on a nightly basis, there are real concerns about how his game translates to the NBA. Even with those worries, he’s basically guaranteed to be a top-three pick in the upcoming draft.
For many, it seems insane to propose the idea that Boozer will be a very good player (and likely make a few All-Star teams in the best-case scenario) rather than a surefire superstar. This is not an unjustified feeling. He’s essentially broken advanced analytics this season, currently leading the country in nine different metrics (PER, points produced, offensive win shares, defensive win shares, total win shares, win shares per/40, offensive box plus/minus, defensive box plus/minus, and overall box plus/minus). Add in the “regular” categories, and it becomes even more impressive. Through 20 games, Boozer is averaging 23.5 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.8 SPG, and 0.6 BPG with 58/37/76 splits. Virtually every comparison tool only further solidifies the rarity of what Boozer is doing. This all goes without mentioning that he’s already an incredible leader of men and someone whose professionalism will seamlessly transition into an NBA locker room.
That being said, Boozer will have an interesting long-term path to success. He’s very good at a lot of different things, but not necessarily elite in any one area. Boozer’s best traits are his incredible strength, leadership, and feel for the game. He’s a capable post finisher and opportunistic scorer on the offensive glass. Boozer carves out space extremely well to position himself to consistently make plays on both ends of the floor. Although he’s probably most comfortable on the block, he’s more than capable of spacing the floor or attacking off the bounce. Boozer is an excellent passer for his size/position and knows how to operate as a primary hub offensively. He relies on his strength to defend the post and anchor the paint defensively, but displays nice anticipation around the ball. Boozer is somewhat caught between roles defensively as a non-rim-protector who isn’t overly quick guarding opponents in space. While this guy might be closer to his ceiling as a prospect, it wouldn’t be shocking if he had a career similar to someone like Paul Millsap. Ironically, Millsap finished his career with the third most win shares from the 2006 Draft. Could history repeat itself 20 years later?