The trending picks for the Brooklyn Nets are AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. The Duke star, though, delivered a huge statement on why he should be No. 1, or become a Net.
Were the Brooklyn Nets locked into the Saturday action inside Washington D.C's Capital One Arena?
If you're a Nets fan, you better hope so. Because the new potential top overall pick put on a show against the top-ranked team in the land.
It wasn't AJ Dybantsa of BYU or Darryn Peterson of Kansas either. Cam Boozer went off on the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines when it mattered the most.
Boozer stated his own personal reasons why he's the best player in the land. Even amid what many nationally hyped as a two-person race to No. 1 between the fellow freshmen Dybantsa and Peterson.
Here's why the Nets need to look at the Blue Devils star more closely.
Boozer took control of the game against the nation's No. 1
You want guys who can take over in the final minutes, right?
Brooklyn lacks that right now -- even with Michael Porter Jr. posting NBA All-Star numbers and the intrigue building around the future for Egor Demin and Nolan Traore.
But Boozer dropped 18 points on the best team in the nation -- including sinking a crucial 3-pointer that assured Duke was going to seal the win.
Boozer shows mature vision for a freshman
This is when you know Boozer is ahead of the curve. More so from a mental standpoint.
This sequence below shows how Boozer toys with the Michigan defense mentally. He's forcing the Wolverines to think he's going to shoot the ball himself. Except Boozer spots the backdoor scoring option and catches Michigan off guard:
Dybantsa is an aggressive attacker to the net. Peterson has flashed a similar trait. Both can score at will.
Boozer, though, brings a mature versatility for a younger prospect. It helps he's got NBA bloodlines as his father, Carlos Boozer, played in multiple all-star games and won many contests during his run in Durham, N.C.
Boozer just leapfrogged one notable potential top pick
This is arguably one of the tightest races for the No. 1 overall pick of the draft in years.
But Boozer just leapfrogged one of the projected top picks: Peterson in Kansas.
The Jayhawks star lately has become criticized for not playing a full game and appearing fatigued. Even his head coach Bill Self had to address questions about the lack of finishing.
Boozer showed strong stamina in taking control of a game against a higher ranked foe...let alone the nation's No. 1.
Time to start thinking about Boozer in a Nets uniform, even if he or the Nets don't land at the top of the draft order come June.
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