Sone of you-know-who- is about to carve his own path
The Brotherhood Playoff Watch is over and the Olympics, which will be the next Brotherhood show, is a few weeks away, so we thought we’d spend some time now talking about potential Duke recruits primarily but not exclusively, limited to the class of 2025. One of the most prominent recruits for some time now has been Cameron Boozer. He and his twin brother Cayden have electrified the basketball world for the last couple of years.
Unlike identical twins, Cameron and Cayden are not the same size: Cayden is 6-3 and Cameron is 6-9.
Their father of course is Duke great Carlos Boozer, who, like Cameron, is 6-9.
That’s where the resemblance ends.
Carlos was a power player in college and the NBA. When you look at the video, it’s not like Cameron isn’t a powerful kid, although at 16, he’s not nearly as powerful as he ultimately will be.
It’s just that he’s far more versatile than his dad was.
Just 16 - he’ll turn 17 in about a month - Cameron has a lot of room to grow physically. His game is a different story: he’s well ahead of schedule.
Boozer is a well-rounded forward. He’s a three-level scorer and he’s also an excellent ball handler.
He can shoot from behind the line, drive for a mid-range shot or get to the basket - and he can pass off to someone else for a better shot. Passing looks to be an underrated part of his game.
In this video, you’ll see young Boozer pull up for threes. You’ll see him go behind the back to start a fast break. You’ll see him drive the lane, blowing by defenders to do it. And you’ll see some beautiful passes too.
We expect to see criticisms of his game more as his senior season approaches. He’s athletic, though not necessarily the most athletic player in the world. What does that mean?
Not much, honestly.
We just finished the NBA Finals and at least three players who played were questioned for their athleticism as their drafts approached: Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum - three of the four best players on the court most nights.
All three were thought to be average athletes and to be fair, you could point to a lot of guys who can jump higher than Irving. Doncic has always looked pudgy. And while Tatum is a good athlete, he’s not freakishly athletic like, say, Ja Morant.
Lots of guys aren’t though. Paolo Banchero is a superb player but he’s more about skill and IQ than overwhelming talent. Nikola Jokic was a second-round draft pick who has become one of the most skilled big men we’ve seen and one of the best passers the game has ever seen.
So if people want to criticize that, let them. His intuitive approach to the game, his intelligence, will take him a very long way.
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