// SCOUT_HOMEPAGE
NEWFREED8
PROFILES
01
BOARD_SPOTS
67
YEAR
2026
// SAVED_BOARD
2026_OVERALL_BOARD
TOP_30
// PROSPECT_GUIDE
CAMERON BOOZER
CAMERON BOOZER
I remember the college basketball season starting, and I saw a video of a guy crucifying Cam Boozer in his first game against Texas, saying he wasn't going to be on the level of AJ and Darryn; and I kept it in the back of my mind, and within a month I would have called myself crazy for even considering that. As a newer CBB fan, the only freshman season that even comes close to Cam's season in terms of impact is Cooper Flagg, and not even he could best it. If Cam stayed in college for 4 years there's no doubt in my mind he would be the most decorated player of the century. But the NBA is a different league, his ability to dominate is not going to translate 1:1, so how will he fit in?
SF Kevin Love, less Interior Defense and Rebounding, more Playmaking and Mobility
2019 Pistons Blake Griffin
Less explosive Aaron Gordon
// OFFENSIVE_EVALUATION
Offensively, I really like Cam's projection to the NBA. I'm not one of those people who thinks he's going to get rejected at the rim every play. What I love about him is his decisiveness and intuition. He knows when to be selfless and make the winning play, but he also knows when it's time to be aggressive and take over. His ability to make a skip pass from one corner to another, drive and get to the line the next play, and run PnR or PnP after that brings a level of versatility that very few rookies can bring. He doesn't just do those things; he does them at an elite level, too, which is why he has an OBPM+ of 13.6 (99%), and it will allow him to be placed in any offense and immediately raise that team's offensive floor. A lot of people are concerned about his midrange game; I am not. It will be added to his game at some point, and he will use it well; I have no fears about that. My problems lie with his self-creation. He can bring the ball up the court, handle it, run point, but he's not going to do it at the level that guys like Paolo and Cade do, and that limits his ceiling. Another thing that gets brought up is concerns about his interior game translating. I think there will be an adjustment period, but I think he will figure it out, considering his savvy relentlessness. Lastly, his driving ability is elite, he gets the ball, knows what he's going to do, he'll bully you down and get to the line.
Percentiles are positional, measured against NBA players' last season in college.
// DEFENSIVE_EVALUATION
Despite having a DBPM+ of 3.4 (98%), I am much lower on Cam on the defensive side than on the offensive side. His IQ still shines on the defensive end, and you can see that, despite having suboptimal traits, he can still make a positive impact. When he gets beat he'll force the driver into defensive help, rather than into open space. A lot of his college defensive production came from inside the paint, contesting shots at the rim, and that's why a lot of people project him to be a 4 or a small ball 5. Personally, I see him as more of a 3 than a 5; he's only in the 40th percentile in block rate, and he's not an explosive jumper. He's just going to struggle to be an effective rim protector. Meanwhile, he's in the 79% in steal rate, and despite being a slower mover, I think he'll do better on the perimeter than as a rim defender. He's never going to be an elite defensive playmaker with lockdown ability, but in today's game, if you're adequate, can get some stocks, and have good IQ, that's A-Okay.
// PROJECTION
In terms of projection, I have Cam Boozer's ceiling as an All-NBA member; he's never going to be the MVP, but his feel for the game could easily get him into top 25 conversations if his game fully translates. And even if he doesn't reach that level, he's going to start for a team, be a damn good player, and help that team win games. My final grade for him on my scale is a 9.0/10, which means he is worthy of being a #1 pick, and while he's my #3 prospect if a team like the Wizards, who's trying to turn the corner from tanking to contending, wants him, I think it would be more than reasonable to take him #1.
// OFFENSIVE_EVALUATION
Offensively, I really like Cam's projection to the NBA. I'm not one of those people who thinks he's going to get rejected at the rim every play. What I love about him is his decisiveness and intuition. He knows when to be selfless and make the winning play, but he also knows when it's time to be aggressive and take over. His ability to make a skip pass from one corner to another, drive and get to the line the next play, and run PnR or PnP after that brings a level of versatility that very few rookies can bring. He doesn't just do those things; he does them at an elite level, too, which is why he has an OBPM+ of 13.6 (99%), and it will allow him to be placed in any offense and immediately raise that team's offensive floor. A lot of people are concerned about his midrange game; I am not. It will be added to his game at some point, and he will use it well; I have no fears about that. My problems lie with his self-creation. He can bring the ball up the court, handle it, run point, but he's not going to do it at the level that guys like Paolo and Cade do, and that limits his ceiling. Another thing that gets brought up is concerns about his interior game translating. I think there will be an adjustment period, but I think he will figure it out, considering his savvy relentlessness. Lastly, his driving ability is elite, he gets the ball, knows what he's going to do, he'll bully you down and get to the line.
// DEFENSIVE_EVALUATION
Despite having a DBPM+ of 3.4 (98%), I am much lower on Cam on the defensive side than on the offensive side. His IQ still shines on the defensive end, and you can see that, despite having suboptimal traits, he can still make a positive impact. When he gets beat he'll force the driver into defensive help, rather than into open space. A lot of his college defensive production came from inside the paint, contesting shots at the rim, and that's why a lot of people project him to be a 4 or a small ball 5. Personally, I see him as more of a 3 than a 5; he's only in the 40th percentile in block rate, and he's not an explosive jumper. He's just going to struggle to be an effective rim protector. Meanwhile, he's in the 79% in steal rate, and despite being a slower mover, I think he'll do better on the perimeter than as a rim defender. He's never going to be an elite defensive playmaker with lockdown ability, but in today's game, if you're adequate, can get some stocks, and have good IQ, that's A-Okay.
// PROJECTION
In terms of projection, I have Cam Boozer's ceiling as an All-NBA member; he's never going to be the MVP, but his feel for the game could easily get him into top 25 conversations if his game fully translates. And even if he doesn't reach that level, he's going to start for a team, be a damn good player, and help that team win games. My final grade for him on my scale is a 9.0/10, which means he is worthy of being a #1 pick, and while he's my #3 prospect if a team like the Wizards, who's trying to turn the corner from tanking to contending, wants him, I think it would be more than reasonable to take him #1.
Percentiles are positional, measured against NBA players' last season in college.