Cam Boozer looked just as advertised this summer, and it's clear the Grizzlies have a special talent in their hands. Boozer should have an enormous impact on winning thanks to his well-rounded offense and the fact he's a tenacious rebounder. But, if there is one true drawback before his rookie season, it's his rim protection. Thankfully, the Grizzlies on paper have done well to address that flaw by surrounding him with rim protectors early on.
Boozer showed some defensive promise this summer with his active hands and was able to move well and string together defensive stops. But if Boozer wants to expand on his versatility and play some small-ball center like he previously mentioned, he must grow as a rim protector. For now, the Grizzlies have done well to take pressure off Boozer defensively as he begins his career.
This is how you build a center rotation next to Cam Boozer -- perfect trio to offset his woes as a rim protector pic.twitter.com/BdWrZb996V
— Parker Fleming (@PAKA_FLOCKA) July 28, 2026
The Grizzlies should have way better rim protection this season
It was just 11 games, and it will be essential for Zach Edey to stay healthy this season. But his loud impact simply cannot be ignored. He took a Grizzlies team struggling on defense and as a rebounding team and helped them become high-level in both those areas. Edey has everything it takes to help anchor the Grizzlies' defense and alleviate any rim protection concerns next to Boozer.
Plus, let's revisit the acquisitions of Isaiah Stewart and Quinten Post. Isaiah Stewart is coming off a season where he finished 7th in the Sixth Man of the Year race and is one of the better rim protectors in the league. Even when Edey is off the floor, Isaiah Stewart is a guy that can also play alongside Cam Boozer as a smaller center.
Even though Zach Edey and Isaiah Stewart are the best defenders in the frontcourt, it would not come as a shock if Quinten Post provided some more quality defense, especially in the interior. Quinten Post showed some defensive promise early last season with the Warriors before eventually falling out of the rotation.
It will be an exciting task for Tuomas Iisalo and his staff to get more consistency out of Quinten Post this upcoming season. But still, arguably the Grizzlies' biggest priority this offseason was to significantly boost the frontcourt, and they have done that well. The Grizzlies are early in their rebuild, but the frontcourt defense paired with Boozer's potential could make them a surprise team.
Boozer has the perfect frontcourt defense around him early
Zach Edey's absence last year exposed the lack of frontcourt depth and reliable rim protection on the roster. But now, they not only improved the frontcourt behind Zach Edey, but they also have the perfect defensive structure to help Cam Boozer as a rookie. Now that isn't to say Boozer is a bad defender at all, but the rim protection is definitely something to monitor in his career.
Boozer has an advanced feel offensively and also showed active hands defensively in Summer League. Boozer had some defensive struggles in the Summer League Championship, but it was a promising summer for him defensively, especially on the perimeter.
Cam Boozer simply has what it takes to become one of the best offensive players to ever wear a Grizzlies jersey. To make matters even better, Boozer will face less pressure to be an immediately impactful rim protector as a rookie thanks to a healthy Zach Edey and adding Isaiah Stewart and Quinten Post to the frontcourt.
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