No doubt about it. The Memphis Grizzlies got themselves a good one in Cameron Boozer. The former freshman phenom left Duke to pursue his NBA opportunities. After getting passed over by both Washington and Utah, Boozer landed in the best spot for him. Memphis needs a total reset, but one where his basketball savvy should be like manna falling from the heavens. He makes everyone better.
Shortly after the 2026 NBA Draft, ESPN's Jeff Borzello caught up with a handful of college coaches to see what their thoughts are on a few of the top selections. It was not hard for anonymous coaches to find good things to say about Boozer. One coach argued that Boozer "probably has the highest floor" of any prospect from this draft. His basketball IQ was always on full display during his time with Duke.
The same anonymous coach later honed in on Boozer's ball skills from the power forward position.
"What I was most impressed with were his ball skills as a power forward, sometimes small-ball 5," one anonymous coach said. "We tried a couple different coverages on him, [Jon] Scheyer would put him at the point, he would play in the ball-screen. We would double him, but he's a really good passer. At minimum, he's a really productive NBA player."
As if that was not enough, another coach loved how Boozer only took smart shots around the basket.
"The one thing I loved about him was every time he got the ball around the rim, he always got a layup," another coach said. "I don't think he ever took a jump hook. He would pivot, find an angle, step through, he rarely, if ever, took a bad shot at the rim. Another guy is going to shoot a jump hook, he's going to miss, you get to live to fight another day. Boozer can score however he wants to."
Being able to pass the ball in the frontcourt, as well as not taking lazy shots at the rim, are just two examples of why Boozer may be a cut above the rest. It has been ingrained in him and his identical twin brother, Cayden, to make the smart, winning play as often as they can. Having a Duke legend and former NBA All-Star as a father totally helps. Smart players find ways to extend their playing careers.
As Memphis moves on from Ja Morant, all that Boozer is bringing in with him is a breath of fresh air.
Cameron Boozer should immediately elevate the Memphis Grizzlies' floor
Whenever you are picking third overall in any draft, it is imperative to get a player who can make an immediate, positive impact. In most instances, the team picking in that spot is not the least bit good. Last season, Memphis went 25-57, good enough for 13th place in the deep Western Conference. This franchise may not have the most illustrious history, but we have seen quality basketball before.
By adding a player college coaches cannot stop raving about in Boozer, it just goes to show how lucky Memphis is to have him. Going to a small-market franchise that is struggling cannot be easy. However, Boozer has the necessary physical and mental traits to succeed anyway. Barring injury, of course, he is not going to bust. This is because he can take a page out of the Shane Battier playbook.
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Battier played with Boozer's father at Duke. While he did spend a few more years in college, Battier was able to have a decade-plus long career in the NBA because of his basketball IQ. The good news is Boozer's upside trumps whatever Battier brought with him out of Durham a quarter century ago. Even better, Boozer feels like the type of player who is more than willing to learn things from the past.
Frankly, the quickest way to improve an underperforming system is to raise its floor. What is its bottleneck? Memphis needs a lot of things, but Boozer's playing style patterns nicely into filling all the possible cracks that will be uncovered in due time. He is not a panacea, only a basketball player. That being said, his maturity and all-around game can be what expedites Memphis' rebuild here in a hurry.
Boozer may not think it is a rebuild, but he is the architect of what they are trying to build in the future.
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