3 Things We Learned About Cameron Boozer in His NBA Debut

Cameron Boozer has made his NBA debut. It wasn't perfect, but there were some reasons to be encouraged about him. If nothing else, we learned a lot about him in the Memphis Grizzlies' 123-103 win over the Utah Jazz.

Perhaps you learn the most when you struggle.

Boozer had 7 points on 2-of-15 shooting from the field. He was simply unable to put the ball in the basket.

All of which made his ability to find other ways to impact the game more impressive. Boozer finished with 11 rebounds and 5 assists.

That leads us to the first thing we learned about him.

You can't be an NBA star if you're not a high-level scorer, but the league's best stars know how to impact the game when they aren't scoring.

That's what Boozer did in his debut.

His 11 rebounds were key to the team's win. Meanwhile, his 5 assists may sell his playmaking short. Boozer made several beautiful passes that simply didn't result in buckets.

The Grizzlies will need him to learn to score at the NBA level, but there's plenty of time for that.

For now, it's meaningful that Boozer can find other ways to help his team win.

This one is related to No. 1, but it's got as much to do with Boozer's body as it does with his skills.

The 11 rebounds are evidence enough. Boozer is ready to play with the big boys.

That said, his bone-rattling screens were also helpful. Boozer used his frame to create advantages in a number of ways.

Some rookies look like they need physical development. Not Boozer.

He'll get stronger, but he's already strong enough to use it to his advantage at the NBA level.

That's exceedingly rare for a rookie.

Perhaps this one is obvious, but sometimes, the most obvious points bear repeating:

Boozer is a rookie.

At times in this game, you'd think you were watching a grizzled veteran. Until it was time to shoot. Then, Boozer's age showed.

This won't be his only weak game. Rookies struggle almost without fail, and Boozer will be no exception.

This season is all about progress for Boozer, and he gave every indication that he's on track to grow into the player Memphis envisioned when it selected him with the No. 3 pick.

For now, Grizzlies fans can be excited to keep learning about him.