The consensus at the top of the NBA Draft has been that BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Kansas' Darryn Peterson, and Duke's Cameron Boozer - in that order - are the top three prospects. Some have tried to put North Carolina's Caleb Wilson into the mix, but most experts agree that he's on the outside looking in.
The main source of conversation has surrounded whether Peterson can overtake Dybantsa between now and next month's draft, but the BYU wing has remained a heavy favorite in the aftermath of the Combine earlier this month.
But while the majority of draft experts have held the above opinion, Jonathan Givony of Draft Express has consistently pounded the drum for Boozer as a legitimate candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick, contrary to popular opinion.
Analytical models love Boozer, and he's clearly the safest bet to be a quality NBA player. Some don't buy his ceiling because of his lack of explosive athleticism, but those same people must not have watched Nikola Jokic dominate the league over the last near decade.
Givony joined The Herd with Jason McIntyre on Saturday to discuss Boozer's chances as the No. 1 pick and how high he personally is on the superstar from Duke.
Jonathan Givony's glowing Cameron Boozer assessment is music to Duke fans' ears
“If you talk to the analytics people in NBA front offices, who have a lot of influence these days, 100% of them have Cam Boozer at No. 1 at the top of their draft model," Givony said. "That’s not just because of what he did in college, where he was the most productive player in college basketball by a mile at 18 years old, but also dating back to what he did in high school as well as at the FIBA level. Cam Boozer has been the best player in every setting he’s competed on since he was 14 years old."
Boozer is one of the youngest players in this class, something that often gets overlooked. He won't turn 19 until July, and he still dominated at the college level like a seasoned pro. He wasn't just the best freshman in college basketball; he was the best player period. The runaway National Player of the Year, who led Duke to the ACC Championship and the No.1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Boozer won four state titles at the high school level and two gold medals in FIBA play. He's a proven winner, something that front offices in the NBA won't discount. He also has an all-around two-way game that will translate, regardless of your opinion on his athletic ability. He has elite vision and doesn't rely on purely bully ball as so many have tried to (wrongfully) point out. He can score at the rim, and he's got a nice outside jumper. He shot 39.1% from three as a freshman.
You're fooling yourself if you don't think he can be an elite player at the NBA level. Givony believes that not only will his stardom translate, but that it's going to happen immediately.
“I think he’s going to be a 20-10 guy from day one, and he’s even going to make a run potentially at being an All-Star as a rookie," Givony said.
“Teams drafting him at 1 and 2 are giving him a hard look in this draft even though that might not be the public sentiment.”
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