Cameron Boozer, Duke’s newest blue chip commit, is an NBA celebrity within the making

Cameron Boozer has been so good for therefore lengthy that there is usually a tendency to take his regular dominance with no consideration. As the category of 2025 has come of age, gamers with extra explosive athleticism and extra spectacular powerful shot-making have gotten the lion’s share of the hype because the ‘subsequent large factor’ to uncover. The one fixed alongside the best way is that if Boozer and his twin brother are on the courtroom, their group is nearly at all times successful.

Cameron and Cayden Boozer dedicated to Duke over Miami on Friday. The twins will comply with within the footsteps of their father, long-time NBA ahead Carlos Boozer, once they stroll onto campus in Durham. If their possible transient faculty keep is something like their illustrious highschool careers, the Blue Devils are going to be successful video games at a excessive stage.

Right here’s a short listing of accomplishments for Cameron and Cayden Boozer within the prep ranks:

• Three straight state championships at Miami’s Columbus Excessive College.
• Three straight EYBL championships with Nightrydas Elite, within the U15, U16, and U17 divisions.
• Two gold medals with USA Basketball’s junior packages, the place Cameron was named MVP of each occasions.

Throughout their first three years at Columbus, the Boozers went 85-12 general. Of their last season of grassroots ball on the EYBL, they completed the yr with a 22-1 file. As members of the U17 World Cup, the twins starred on a group that gained by a median of 64.4 factors per sport. Successful comes straightforward to the Boozers, and there’s a lot extra to it than simply their NBA bloodlines.

Cayden is rated as a top-five level guard recruit within the nation. The 6’3 guard is a dogged point-of-attack defender and heady passer who is aware of the right way to management the tempo of the sport. He initiatives as a killer faculty level guard, and can possible at some point be an NBA draft decide. He’s additionally clearly a secondary story within the twins’ dedication, as a result of his brother appears each bit like a future NBA celebrity.

Cameron Boozer is 6’9 tank who has a reliable declare as essentially the most polished highschool scorer because the shoe firm circuits got here into existence. From a uncooked statistical perspective, Boozer’s effectivity is mind-blowing. He posted a real capturing share at or above 70 % in each main occasion he’s performed in, and led the EYBL in factors per possession by a mile. With Boozer as the middle of their lineups, Nightrydas completed No. 1 in offensive effectivity and No. 2 in defensive effectivity this yr.

Boozer has lots going for him as a participant, however his greatest weapon is his really feel for the sport. He’s a grasp at choosing out the weaknesses within the opposition’s schemes, and discovering essentially the most brutally environment friendly approach potential to punish them.

It helps to be large and robust, and Cameron Boozer is actually that. Listed at 6’9, 235 kilos, Boozer is a hybrid large man with true three-level scoring skill. In the identical sport, you’ll typically see Boozer go from a heliocentric wing scorer to a post-up battering ram to a entrance courtroom passing hub. He has no actual weaknesses in his talent set, and he constantly performs more durable and smarter than anybody else on the courtroom.

Boozer is a strong inside scorer

Boozer wished to indicate his talent on the perimeter early in his profession, however as he bought older it turned clear that nobody might cease him inside. He’s so good at establishing deep paint touches, and leveraging his masterful footwork and delicate contact to search out baskets inside. Right here he takes A.J. Dybantsa — the one participant ranked forward of him within the class of 2025 — into the paint off the bounce, and utilizing his large physique to create separation for the bucket inside.

Boozer can be wonderful as a rebounder, particularly on the offensive finish. He performs with a constantly excessive motor that results in a number of putbacks per sport. It’s widespread to see him comply with his personal shot inside and put in his personal misses. He will get off the ground extraordinarily nicely for somebody with such a thick body, and his nostril for the ball is simple.

Right here’s Boozer grabbing a number of rebounds over future high NBA draft decide Cooper Flagg and Maryland-bound teammate Derik Queen earlier than ending by way of site visitors:

Boozer can deal with the ball like a star wing scorer

The scale and power benefit Boozer has on his opponents in highschool goes to shrink as he jumps to varsity after which the professionals. NBA stars of all sizes and shapes have to have the ability to play out on the perimeter now, and Boozer can very a lot do this.

He’s a sophisticated ball handler for somebody his dimension and his age, displaying good ball management and the flexibility to remain low together with his dribble. He’s extra of a strength-based creator than somebody who will mud you together with his first step, however he’s a load to take care of as soon as he will get going downhill.

Gamers of all sizes simply appear to bounce off Boozer on his drives. He’s not closely strong-hand dependent, and does job of utilizing his thick decrease physique to maintain defenders off him. Watch him create area in opposition to Queen and over over Flagg for one more bucket:

Boozer’s capturing appears promising

Taking pictures improvement shall be a swing talent for any high prospect coming into the league with legit positional dimension. Boozer is already shooter, if not but an incredible one. It’s onerous to search out dependable capturing percentages, however most experiences sometimes have him round 33-35 %. He has a little bit of a gradual launch on this three-point shot proper now, however there’s little question he has actual vary.

Right here’s 4 instance of Boozer hitting deep three-pointers off the catch as a flooring spacer.

Boozer can move it, too

Boozer’s scoring is so efficient partly as a result of he not often will get tunnel imaginative and prescient. He does an incredible job of mapping the ground and realizing the place his teammates are for an open move. It’s so uncommon to see a 16-year-old course of the sport like this.

Boozer’s passing actually pops when defenses begin to focus in on taking his scoring away. He not often appears to power his personal scoring possibilities, and may throw some spectacular dimes when he has an open cutter.

Boozer’s outlet passing can be a singular weapon. He understands the ball strikes sooner than your toes, and does a pleasant job of protecting his eyes up courtroom when he grabs a rebound. Duke goes to attain so many straightforward buckets off his transition passing throughout his freshman yr.

Boozer appears like a future NBA star

The race for the No. 1 general decide within the 2026 NBA Draft will come all the way down to Boozer vs. Dybantsa. Dybantsa is the No. 1 participant in most class of 2025 rankings proper now, and seems to have a good lead on Boozer to ultimately be the NBA’s high decide. Dybantsa — a wing within the Tracy McGrady mildew — is filled with projectable NBA upside. I nonetheless favor Boozer’s polish, IQ, and effectivity, even when he isn’t as nimble and lacks Dybantsa’s nuclear explosiveness.

Boozer’s match on protection shall be fascinating. He’s principally performed the 5 in highschool, however he’ll be a tad brief for that within the NBA. If he’s going to be a full-time 4, he’ll have to proceed to enhance as a shooter. Whereas his protection appears strong from a paint safety standpoint, it’s truthful to surprise if his toes shall be a little bit gradual guarding NBA fours on the perimeter.

Nonetheless, Boozer’s mixture of statistical dominance and translatable, well-rounded abilities are too spectacular to guess in opposition to. Born July 18, 2007, Boozer’s ruthless skill to win on the highest ranges turns into extra spectacular once you notice he’s typically a lot youthful than his friends. If Flagg is one of the best NBA prospect outdoors of league proper now, Boozer isn’t far behind him as No. 2 in my e book.

Duke has had some sensible outsized scoring forwards through the years, from Jabari Parker to Brandon Ingram to Jayson Tatum to Zion Williamson to Jalen Johnson to Paolo Banchero to Flagg. Boozer has an opportunity to be pretty much as good as any of them.