The upcoming NBA Draft will feature several highly touted prospects, and teams near the top of the lottery will be looking at players who can quickly elevate a roster, including Duke star Cameron Boozer.
For the Indiana Pacers, who are projected to have the No. 3 pick, it could present an opportunity to add a player with both star potential and an already impressive resume at the college level.
Indiana has been building around star guard Tyrese Haliburton, and adding another high-end talent would help the team get back to the top. With the Pacers continuing to shape their roster for both the present and future, the upcoming draft should only make them better than what they’ve been.
Boozer has became one of the most dominant players in college basketball this season, and even history-wise, earning both ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year honors while leading the Blue Devils in a year that has seen them at the top for a long time.
ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo believes Boozer’s production and overall impact have made him one of the most intriguing prospects in the class, and he thinks Indiana would benefit from taking him at No. 3.
“Boozer, the ACC Player and Rookie of the Year, has made a loud argument for himself as the best player in college basketball and would provide excellent value if he falls to No. 3. He's having a historically productive season operating as the fulcrum of a Duke team with title aspirations.
“He excels in nearly every offensive area. But his average explosiveness, coupled with slower defensive ground coverage, has raised questions about his ceiling. Some scouts wonder whether he can be the best player on a championship-level NBA team, or whether he's optimally cast as a secondary star,” he wrote.
Indiana’s recent roster moves also make the pick even more interesting. The team landed Ivica Zubac at the trade deadline, one of the top big men in the league.
“Indiana's deadline trade for Ivica Zubac raises the stakes around next season and this selection, as they'll convey it to the LA Clippers if it falls in the 5-9 range. Adding Boozer to the mix with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton could kick-start the Pacers on another playoff push.”
To me, this would be a win-win for Boozer if he ended up in Indiana.