It appears that the most likely landing spot for Duke superstar freshman Cameron Boozer in tonight's NBA Draft will be the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 3. While there have been some banging the drum for him as the potential No. 1 pick to the Washington Wizards, and plenty of smoke surrounding him at No. 2 to the Utah Jazz, the Grizzlies have been the constant for him in the draft process.
Boozer would immediately be the face of the franchise in Memphis, partnering with former Purdue National Player of the Year Zach Edey to give the Grizzlies a formidable frontcourt.
That would mean that the Wizards and Jazz passed on Boozer, however, hoping that AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson can provide more superstar upside than Boozer.
His Dad, Carlos Boozer, a former Duke star in his own right and a 13-year NBA veteran, sent a warning to those teams.
In an interview with Marc J. Spears on Andscape, Boozer didn't mince his words:
"If they miss the boat, they will regret it," Carlos Boozer said.
Carlos Boozer says any team that passes on his son in the NBA Draft will regret it
"Basically, the one thing about Cam that separates him from everybody else in the draft is that he’s a guy that the rest of the team will galvanize around because he doesn’t cheat the game," Boozer continued. "He shows up every single day, he studies the game, he puts his work into it every single day.
"He’s as dedicated as you’re ever going to find a player to his craft. And so, because of that, the team will always follow him because he’s the natural leader. And if you’re looking for that, then you’ll find that in him. And if you don’t draft him, then you’re going to regret that."
Cameron Boozer himself has said similar things, without going so far as to say a team would regret passing on him. He was just point-blank in his assertion that the team that drafts him is going to hang banners because of it.
Boozer has won big at every level. He won four state titles in high school and was a multi-time Peach Jam champion and Gold Medalist. Duke was stunningly upset in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, but he led the Blue Devils to both the regular season and tournament titles of the ACC.
He was also the National Player of the Year despite being one of the youngest players in college basketball last season. The lack of upside talk around him is pure hogwash. Boozer is six months younger than both Dybantsa and Peterson, and yet has been the better player at every level so far.
NBA teams frequently overthink these picks. That's what has happened throughout the pre-draft process for Boozer, with teams talking themselves into perceived flaws and ignoring the fact that Boozer is going to make an immediate impact at the next level and is the safest bet in the class to develop into an All-Star.
Dybantsa and Peterson are elite talents, no doubt, but they both have the potential to bust. Boozer does not.
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