A quick one before Cameron Boozer devours the NCAA
Cameron Boozer shouldn't have to play college basketball. Just 20 years ago, he wouldn't have.
Cameron Boozer shouldn’t have to play college basketball. And just 21 years ago, he would’ve just made the deadline before the NBA barred prospects from declaring for the NBA Draft out of high school.
Boozer, the son of All-NBA selectee Carlos Boozer, is one of the most decorated high school basketball players of all time. He’s won the Florida state championship all four years, was crowned champion and MVP of the nation’s premier AAU circuit, Nike EYBL Peach Jam, three times, and was named the Gatorade Player of the Year twice — an honor previously held by just two players (LeBron James, Greg Oden, and Brandon Knight).
His exploits on the court arguably exceed his exploits on the winner’s podium. In his final trip around the EYBL circuit, Boozer averaged 22.9 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.1 stocks on 67.5% true shooting. He came back from that summer of winning to complete the four-peat with Columbus, averaging 22.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.9 stocks on 66.2% true shooting.
The numbers alone paint a detailed picture of what Boozer does: everything.
He’s one of the most efficient scorers the high school level has ever seen, especially considering he’s not a run-and-dunk big. In the words of The Ringer’s J. Kyle Mann, “He is a chisel. He is not a sledgehammer.”
Boozer wins with finesse, which, added to his 6-foot-9 and 250-pound frame, is a dangerous force capable of beating you with straight bludgeoning force or 1,000 precise cuts in just the right spot.
He’s savvy with his back to the basket, feeling out the situation and capitalizing with just the right type of seal, knowing winning at the catch can mean everything for the shot you get. If it’s not right to him under the basket over a top-lock, it’s setting him up to move bodies with textbook footwork, pirouetting then floating for a soft-touch hook or fade.
He utilizes that same model footwork in nearly every setting, using it to unlock his frame and skill set in almost every facet of basketball. He’s a better rebounder because of how he uses his feet to slither into box outs. He’s a better passer because of how he pivots to create wider windows. He’s a better defender because of how he can utilize those feet to wall off drives, contain in drop, or close out effectively. For Boozer, his game starts literally from the ground up.
Let’s start with his post-scoring.
Combining stints with Nightrydas Elite 17U and Columbus, Boozer scored at a rate of 1.28 points per post-up. The volume isn’t Jokić-level, but his per-possession efficiency is two-tenths of a point better than the NBA’s leader last season, Pascal Siakam, with 1.08 points per post-up.
A ton of Boozer’s win before the catch, fighting for position between his defender and the basket like he does here. Note the quick turn, keeping his defender in place while giving his teammate a better pass to his right, away from the defender guarding the corner man.
He’s also more than capable of putting defenders in the mixer and using that touch on a turnaround jumper. Look at how his wide base helps to trap the defender’s feet before pivoting into the jumper.
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Speaking more on Boozer’s jumper, it’s not a thing he’s super credited for, but something that certainly deserves its airtime. Combining samples between his time with Nightrydas and Columbus this past year, Boozer took over 200 threes and hit them at a 37.1% clip, and 21-of-43 on pull-up twos.
Additionally, Boozer’s usage of movement in Duke coach Jon Scheyer’s system is rumored to increase, showing clear trust in the jumper despite the middling frequency at the high school level.
His jumper is a work in progress, and he didn’t show consistent NBA range; it’s easy to see why. His base is incredibly wide, with a release that goes far more up than out.
Where Boozer can really utilize the threat of his shooting is in his ability to attack closeouts. As a perimeter creator, he doesn’t have the flexibility or East-West wiggle of his contemporaries at the top of the 2026 NBA Draft class, but with ample strength, long strides, and an efficient handle, Boozer’s more than capable of scoring off spot-ups.
His lack of side-to-side handling craft made isolation scoring his second-least efficient play type during his time in Columbus (one of just two play types where he scored under a point per possession). Still, his craft and skill are on full display with the pre-created advantage a closeout provides.
Here’s a good example of Boozer’s ability to create off spot-ups, with a few hints of what may hold him back as a creator. Boozer’s shot draws a threatened closeout from the defender, and he’s keen to attack the top foot. The angle is a tad wider than you’d want, but he handles through the bump and has the balance and core strength to euro-step through the herd around the rim and finish.
Along with his scoring, Boozer’s a tremendous passer for his size. As someone who flips between the four and five, he’s more than capable of running pick-and-roll or operating as a hub from inside the post.
It’s something he’ll likely have to do at Duke a good bit. With the number of sharpshooters up and down the Blue Devils’ roster (as well as the lack of pure initiators), Boozer will likely have to operate as an inverted pick-and-roll handler. Flipping the ball back to a fading shooter is something Boozer has shown an ability to do when walled off, as well as through lobs to other bigs in high-low actions.
He can also drop dimes like this.
We’re less than 70 days from Boozer’s Duke debut in an exhibition game against Central Florida, on October 21. Just over two months before Cameron Boozer devours the college basketball world.