Summer League is certainly not the be-all and end-all, but Cam Boozer is already showing what made him so great at Duke. Selected third overall in this year's draft, Cam Boozer has the golden chance to speed up the Grizzlies' rebuild, and the early signs are pointing to him being able to do just that.
After just two games in Summer League, the Grizzlies are just scratching the surface of what Cam Boozer can be in Memphis. Boozer is averaging 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 25.5 minutes per game, but his stats don't tell the full story. It's still extremely early, and it's also important to know that Boozer will turn just 19 years old later this month.
But the early signs are pointing to the Grizzlies having a great offensive engine for years to come in Cam Boozer. Understandably, there will be pressure that stems from his draft slot and the fact that the Grizzlies recently traded away fan favorite Ja Morant. If anyone is built for those high expectations, it is Cam Boozer, who has been in big spotlights since his days as a high school recruit.
Boozer's performances are an encouraging start
If one thing is clear, Cam Boozer is an extremely well-rounded player and should have many paths to being successful in Memphis. While Cam Boozer has not had a super heavy volume of touches, his impact on the court has been very loud in the first two games. Boozer has extremely special vision as a passer, and arguably the most encouraging development so far is how smooth his jumpshot looks.
The much-anticipated matchup between second overall pick Darryn Peterson and Cam Boozer ended up going Peterson's and Utah's way. However, there was still plenty to like about Boozer's game even though Peterson was the best player on the court.
Despite not being featured heavily, Boozer still ended up with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists on an efficient 6 for 9 from the field. Probably the most encouraging development for Grizzlies fans is that he made 4 of his 5 threes and showed a much quicker release compared to his days at Duke.
Cam Boozer is not just shutting down the silly narratives about his ability to score from the midrange, but he looks extremely comfortable shooting threes. Boozer made 39% of his threes at Duke and already showed a good shooting touch, but there were understandably questions given that his three-point volume wasn't super high.
Boozer will likely have a very strong rookie season
While some predraft concerns with Boozer's verticality and on-ball perimeter defense showed, he was still tenacious on the glass, and his active hands should allow him to grow as a defender at the NBA level. Yesterday's game showed that Boozer can still make a loud impact even though his usage was way down compared to how much he will be featured in the regular season.
There was some understandable frustration about Cam Boozer not getting the ball more, but this is also a time for other players such as Cedric Coward and Javon Small to get valuable on-ball reps. There should not be any concerns about Boozer's role once the regular season begins, and if anything, all signs point to him playing extremely well alongside Cedric Coward and soon Zach Edey.
Even with how strong the 2026 NBA Draft class could end up being, Cam Boozer will very likely be one of the frontrunners for Rookie of the Year. After the first two games of Utah Summer League, Grizzlies fans should be encouraged by the potential Cam Boozer has.
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