Former Duke Star Impresses as Memphis Grizzlies are Off to 4-0 Start

Former Duke Basketball standout Cameron Boozer is making an early impact in his NBA career. 

Boozer was selected No. 3 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, going after both AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson in the draft. He then put on a show in the NBA Summer League and continued that hot play into the preseason. But now, the level of competition jumps, and it doesn't seem to be too much for Boozer, at least early on. 

Monday night's win over the Utah Jazz pushed the Grizzlies to 4-0 on the year. It was another game in which Boozer finished in double figures, with 13 points, seven rounds and four assists. And it came just a few days after the Grizzlies came back to take down the Golden State Warriors on the road. 

Now, one of his peers is giving him some praise. 

Former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green had nothing but praise for Boozer and his game. He appeared a little surprised by how he could move with his size and then pointed to scoring in terms of the way he shoots. Green went on to say that he was "very impressed" with Boozer and that he doesn't back down from anyone. 

That's a good way to earn some respect. While Green's prime is past, he's seen a lot of basketball and a lot of players coming through the league. So he can provide some insightful thoughts, and hearing him say that about Boozer is a good thing. 

While it's still very early in the season, Boozer's start is impressive. Through the first four games, he's averaging 14.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. He's shooting 27.9 percent from the field, which will need to improve, and it should as time goes on. But that's a pretty solid start for the 19-year-old early in his career. 

The goal for Boozer now will be consistency both on the offensive and defensive sides of the court. Improving as the year goes on not only benefits him but the Grizzlies as well, seeing that they have centered their rebuild around the talented forward. 

Next up for Boozer and the Grizzlies is a trip to Portland to face off against the unbeaten Trailblazers who are 3-0 on the season. One of these teams will have their first loss of the season early on.