Cameron Boozer is shooting 34% from the field. He might also be the best rookie in the NBA right now. Both things are true.
The 19-year-old, drafted third overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in June out of Duke, is averaging 15.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in 32.1 minutes through nine games. The shooting is a work in progress: 33.9 percent from the field and 31.6% from three. But he is a near-perfect 38-for-40 at the free-throw line, and he affects the game in ways that don’t show up in a shooting line. NBA.com ranks him first on its rookie ladder.
A Historic Start for Cameron Boozer
The first week was the stuff of greats. Boozer debuted on October 21 with 7 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 123-103 win. Through three games, he had 48 points and 35 rebounds, the first rookie to reach those totals in his first three games since Shaquille O’Neal in 1992–93, and his averages of 16.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists were the first to be posted through three games since Elgin Baylor in 1958.
Then came the milestones. Boozer posted his first career triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists in Memphis’ win over the Portland Trail Blazers, and followed with a career-high 27 points and 9 rebounds against Sacramento. That’s the profile of a player who already creates for others as much as he scores.
Why It Works
The résumé suggested this. At Duke, Boozer was the consensus National Player of the Year, averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, and the only freshman in history with at least 700 points, 300 rebounds, and 100 assists in a season. Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo said before the season that his passing is already at a very, very high level. He is the son of former NBA forward Carlos Boozer, and the maturity shows.
Memphis is also using him more creatively. Iisalo said the team is featuring Boozer in multiple sets and using him at center more while Isaiah Stewart is out. He leads the Grizzlies in rebounding.
What’s Next
The efficiency is the open question. Boozer shot 55.6% from the field at Duke, so a rise toward that range would turn a promising rookie into a legitimate Rookie of the Year front-runner. He’s 19, and the league is still adjusting to him as much as he’s adjusting to it.
For now, the Grizzlies have a rookie who rebounds like a center, passes like a point guard, and gets better by the week. The shots will fall. The impact is already here.
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