With the NBA Combine in the rearview mirror, teams are beginning to trim their boards and narrow their focus, particularly for those picking near the top of the draft.
That includes the Utah Jazz, who hold the No. 2 pick. It's no secret that the Jazz would covet BYU's AJ Dybantsa, but he's the favorite to be picked at No. 1 by the Washington Wizards. While the No. 1 pick is far from a guarantee with over a month until the draft, if Washington holds serve and selects Dybantsa as many expect, the Jazz would be picking between Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Duke's Cameron Boozer.
Boozer doesn't seem like a perfect fit in Salt Lake City, with the Jazz's frontcourt looking formidable already with Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen, and Walker Kessler. The expectation is that Peterson would likely be the pick at No. 2.
But that doesn't mean Utah won't do its due diligence on Boozer, the National Player of the Year. That's especially true because his Dad, former NBA star Carlos Boozer, not only spent the best years of his pro career with the Jazz, but also holds a role in the franchise's front office now.
And it's that connection that led to a truly wild question posed to Cameron Boozer by Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith at the NBA Combine.
Ryan Smith takes a jab at Carlos Boozer with his question for Cameron Boozer
Per Utah Jazz insider Chandler Holt, Smith shared via the Bill Simmons podcast one of the questions he had for Boozer in Chicago:
"Carlos (Boozer) could only take us to the Western Conference Finals. What do you think you could do?"
Carlos Boozer played for the Jazz between 2004 and 2010. After spending the first three seasons of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boozer signed with the Jazz in free agency. Boozer helped lead the Jazz to the 2007 Western Conference Finals, where they were defeated in five games by the eventual NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs.
Utah made the playoffs the following three seasons, too, but never made it past the Western Conference Semifinals. Boozer left the Jazz following the 2010 season, signing a deal with the Chicago Bulls.
Executives and scouts frequently ask wild questions to prospects in the pre-draft process. They are designed to rile them up and to see how they react to adverse situations. Smith's shot at Cameron Boozer's father likely didn't faze him, though. As he proved throughout his brilliant freshman season at Duke, he's pretty tough to affect.
He probably laughed it off and kept it moving, as he should have. Maybe he'll get the opportunity in Utah to do what his Dad couldn't do, delivering the first NBA Championship in franchise history.
Wherever he goes, banners are likely to follow.
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