As the NBA Draft approaches, Duke standout Cameron Boozer continues to be one of the top three players in the class. Unless something drastic changes in the next few months, there’s no reason why Boozer doesn’t at least go in the top three.
There are obviously downfalls to being a top-three pick, as most teams are rather bad when it comes to the top five, but the Indiana Pacers would be a fun team for Boozer.
While most get caught up in lottery positioning and mock drafts, Boozer is taking a much better, long-term view. The Duke star is focused less on what happens and more on finding the right situation to build a great career.
“Whether I go one or I go 15th, it’s more about fit. I just want to have a long career. Where I start doesn’t really determine where I’m going to finish or end up. So obviously I see what people say, I see whatever, but that’s not going to matter 10 years from now. It’s just about, for me, stacking days. Being the best version of me. And yeah, everything will work out fine,” he said, per Brendan Marks.
His father, Carlos Boozer, expects his son to have a great career.
“You look at what Tim Duncan did. I’m not comparing Cameron to Tim Duncan, but he was another guy that wasn’t a Kevin Garnett or a Tracy McGrady or a Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O’Neal. But you know what he did? He won five championships in that era [against] those players — the Kobes and the Shaqs, because of his IQ, because of his skill set, and because his team would follow him.
“That is who Cameron is. He’s a modern-day version of that. People are going to follow him because of what he gives to the team and what he gives to the game. That translates into winning. So, if you want to win, you pick Cameron. And I’m going to tell you this: The GMs that don’t pick Cam, they’re going to regret that 15 years from now.”
Boozer has a lot to learn before he gets to that level, but all of the signs point to him being a very good player in the NBA if everything goes as planned.