Cameron Boozer

[FarBeyondDriven]

Is Cam having the best season in NCAA history? Who has been better?

Not even top 20 tbh. People need to go look at how dominant guys like Wilt, Kareem, Walton, Oscar, West, Dr. J, Hakeem, Bird, KD, Maravich, King, Russell, Baylor, Lucas, Duncan, Walton, Robinson, Shaq, Gilmore, and Thompson were in college.

[JMAC3]

Production is important, but at a certain point it only means so much.
You are trying to draft the best NBA players, not the best college players.

Boozer has more NBA level skills than any player in this draft.

There is this weird misconception from a lot of people, you included, that 19 year olds dominating most of the best 19-23 year olds in the world that that somehow won't translate.

I would like you to list all the Freshman who have been the clear cut best college players basketball. I imagine it's a short list.

The other misconception people have is players who are incredibly skilled at 19 somehow can't get better because they aren't built like AJ Dybansta.

Players who are as good at basketball as Cam Boozer, at his age, are incredibly unique. They have an elite and unique combination of information processing, court mapping and skill application.

I could spend hours in a gym with someone every day from when they are 5 until they are 19 and 99.9% of humans would still not be as good as Cam Boozer. It was the same with Flagg, he could develop skills incredibly quickly, like a sponge. LeBron was an excellent example of this, one of the greatest, where every off-season he would come back with a new near-elite skill when the previous year he was mediocre at it.

That's an elite trait that a handful of NBA players, at any given time, have. Boozer appears to have that.

Yeah this was more so response to the data dump that Boozer is ultra productive.
I think he is a good prospect, but falling in love with just production can be a bad way to evaluate prospects.

Ethan Happ was 1st, Lonzo Ball was 2nd, Zach Collins 5th in BPM among Fresh/Soph. Tatum and Bam were 48/51.
Wendell Carter was 2nd, Deandre Ayton 4th and SGA was 18th BPM
Jarret Culver was 3rd, Chuma Okeke was 4th, Herro 16th, Coby White 28th, Keldon Johnson 44th BPM.

And there is 100 more examples.

I have Boozer 2nd, but I think people fall in love with these stats and forget to watch the games and analyze guys skillsets too often.
Yeah it is great to watch guys be great in college, but it's not a full proof move by means.

[ReggiesKnicks]

Production is important, but at a certain point it only means so much.
You are trying to draft the best NBA players, not the best college players.

Boozer has more NBA level skills than any player in this draft.

There is this weird misconception from a lot of people, you included, that 19 year olds dominating most of the best 19-23 year olds in the world that that somehow won't translate.

I would like you to list all the Freshman who have been the clear cut best college players basketball. I imagine it's a short list.

The other misconception people have is players who are incredibly skilled at 19 somehow can't get better because they aren't built like AJ Dybansta.

Players who are as good at basketball as Cam Boozer, at his age, are incredibly unique. They have an elite and unique combination of information processing, court mapping and skill application.

I could spend hours in a gym with someone every day from when they are 5 until they are 19 and 99.9% of humans would still not be as good as Cam Boozer. It was the same with Flagg, he could develop skills incredibly quickly, like a sponge. LeBron was an excellent example of this, one of the greatest, where every off-season he would come back with a new near-elite skill when the previous year he was mediocre at it.

That's an elite trait that a handful of NBA players, at any given time, have. Boozer appears to have that.

Yeah this was more so response to the data dump that Boozer is ultra productive.
I think he is a good prospect, but falling in love with just production can be a bad way to evaluate prospects.

Ethan Happ was 1st, Lonzo Ball was 2nd, Zach Collins 5th in BPM among Fresh/Soph. Tatum and Bam were 48/51.
Wendell Carter was 2nd, Deandre Ayton 4th and SGA was 18th BPM
Jarret Culver was 3rd, Chuma Okeke was 4th, Herro 16th, Coby White 28th, Keldon Johnson 44th BPM.

And there is 100 more examples.

I have Boozer 2nd, but I think people fall in love with these stats and forget to watch the games and analyze guys skillsets too often.
Yeah it is great to watch guys be great in college, but it's not a full proof move by means.

I have Boozer Top 3 as well, just like you.

The reality is, I could ignore the stats, watch the tape, and come away the same with Boozer. That's what's so special about him. This isn't Zach Edey. When you watched Zach Edey, you could see where his weaknesses existed, and how there could be some doubt his game would translate.

[NO-KG-AI]

I know it’s lazy, but he really looks like a better, amped up version of what his dad brought. A big, burly, skilled traditional 4. He’s the archetype that has flopped the most from college to NBA, and has essentially gone extinct, but he’s so dominant it probably doesn’t matter.

[King Ken]

I know it’s lazy, but he really looks like a better, amped up version of what his dad brought. A big, burly, skilled traditional 4. He’s the archetype that has flopped the most from college to NBA, and has essentially gone extinct, but he’s so dominant it probably doesn’t matter.

Ya'll keep saying he's this archetype that failed and I just don't see it. No one at PF is like him but him. His build and athleticism at the 4 isn't en vogue but neither is Jokic outside of Jokic.

No traditional 4 plays anything like Cam Boozer

[eminence]

High IQ Julius Randle is a very very good player, and seems like a middling outcome for Boozer. About as low of flop potential as you can get imo.

[FrodoBaggins]

What are the odds he could come out day one and put up like 25 ppg, 10 rpg, 5 apg on .600% TS? Young top prospects usually don't produce like that for two reasons: one, they lack physical development, and two, they need to develop their skills further. But with Cam, he's already incredibly physically mature and so well-rounded from a skills perspective, could he not be 25 and 10 from the jump?

Arbitrary numbers, but he could match those Detroit Blake Griffin comparisons immediately from a production, impact, and accolades perspective. Better than Paolo, Sengun, Randle, and Sabonis as a rookie? I wouldn't be surprised at all.

[FarBeyondDriven]

I know it’s lazy, but he really looks like a better, amped up version of what his dad brought. A big, burly, skilled traditional 4. He’s the archetype that has flopped the most from college to NBA, and has essentially gone extinct, but he’s so dominant it probably doesn’t matter.

that traditional archetype isn't exactly what he is though. He certainly has that size and that's likely the position he'll play but unlike most of those PFs he can't really defend and certainly isn't a shot blocker but conversely, unlike them, he can really pass and he can shoot the three. I think this is why he's more similar to a Kevin Love than he would be to a traditional PF like his father

[King Ken]

I know it’s lazy, but he really looks like a better, amped up version of what his dad brought. A big, burly, skilled traditional 4. He’s the archetype that has flopped the most from college to NBA, and has essentially gone extinct, but he’s so dominant it probably doesn’t matter.

that traditional archetype isn't exactly what he is though. He certainly has that size and that's likely the position he'll play but unlike most of those PFs he can't really defend and certainly isn't a shot blocker but conversely, unlike them, he can really pass and he can shoot the three. I think this is why he's more similar to a Kevin Love than he would be to a traditional PF like his father

Kevin Love just isn't wasn't that good to me. I always looked him like a stat padder the way I looked at Trae as he aged.

When I watch Boozer. He's a difference maker. He makes the difference. His passing isn't as good as Kevin but his playmaking is miles better. His feel for the game in general is miles better. His attention to detail is miles better. He just thinks the game like a Jokic. I never saw Kevin as this winner. Even with LeBron, I thought Miami Bosh was a lot better. To be honest, I like Lauri more than I liked Kevin and Lauri didn't have Kevin's Minnesota data.

Minnesota Kevin was chunky, like real chunky. He didn't have much stamina. It feel his value would just wane throughout a game. I never loved skinny Love. Just was a better Ryan Anderson to me. Chunky Love was understoppable in the post and his footwork still might be the best since Dream and McHale.

[JMAC3]

What are the odds he could come out day one and put up like 25 ppg, 10 rpg, 5 apg on .600% TS? Young top prospects usually don't produce like that for two reasons: one, they lack physical development, and two, they need to develop their skills further. But with Cam, he's already incredibly physically mature and so well-rounded from a skills perspective, could he not be 25 and 10 from the jump?

Arbitrary numbers, but he could match those Detroit Blake Griffin comparisons immediately from a production, impact, and accolades perspective. Better than Paolo, Sengun, Randle, and Sabonis as a rookie? I wouldn't be surprised at all.

It is very difficult to score 25 ppg in the NBA. There is 17 guys right now.

Luka, Shai, Ant, Brown, Maxey, Mitchell, Kawhi, Curry, Cade, Brunson, KD, Muray and Reeves who are all elite shot creators. Then Jokic, Giannis, Lauri, Embiid are a bit different I suppose.

Boozer just doesn't have a lot of on ball, create my own shot juice. I think he will be ultra productive in the flow of the offense- could see him being more like Kon Knueppel in that regard but Boozer won't make as many threes.

He will probably average something like 17/8/3 but some will depend on the team he lands on.

To me he will play more like KLove, Julius Randle than Paolo, Zion.

[ReggiesKnicks]

I know it’s lazy, but he really looks like a better, amped up version of what his dad brought. A big, burly, skilled traditional 4. He’s the archetype that has flopped the most from college to NBA, and has essentially gone extinct, but he’s so dominant it probably doesn’t matter.

that traditional archetype isn't exactly what he is though. He certainly has that size and that's likely the position he'll play but unlike most of those PFs he can't really defend and certainly isn't a shot blocker but conversely, unlike them, he can really pass and he can shoot the three. I think this is why he's more similar to a Kevin Love than he would be to a traditional PF like his father

Kevin Love just isn't wasn't that good to me. I always looked him like a stat padder the way I looked at Trae as he aged.

When I watch Boozer. He's a difference maker. He makes the difference. His passing isn't as good as Kevin but his playmaking is miles better. His feel for the game in general is miles better. His attention to detail is miles better. He just thinks the game like a Jokic. I never saw Kevin as this winner. Even with LeBron, I thought Miami Bosh was a lot better. To be honest, I like Lauri more than I liked Kevin and Lauri didn't have Kevin's Minnesota data.

Kevin Love was league's better than Trae Young, come on, dude. From 2014-2017, he was +7.4 On-Court, +8.6 On/Off. He was the best player on the 2014 Minnesota Timberwolves, where he had exceptional +/- and box-score (8.9 BPM and +5.6 On-Court with +10.9 On/Off).

Spoiler:

Kevin Love 4-year RAPM ranks (2013-2020)
46
39
71
59
31
80
25
31


Kevin Love RAPTORranks (2013-2020, incomplete data set)
9
5
33
19
20
85
146


Kevin Love LEBRON ranks (2013-2020)
18
3
14
14
19
24
25
157

[dcstanley]

Read on Twitter

I want to preface this by saying I can easily see him having the best career in the draft but it's imperative that his shooting is real. I don't think paint attempts like at the 30 second mark are going to fly at the next level.

[FrodoBaggins]

that traditional archetype isn't exactly what he is though. He certainly has that size and that's likely the position he'll play but unlike most of those PFs he can't really defend and certainly isn't a shot blocker but conversely, unlike them, he can really pass and he can shoot the three. I think this is why he's more similar to a Kevin Love than he would be to a traditional PF like his father

Kevin Love just isn't wasn't that good to me. I always looked him like a stat padder the way I looked at Trae as he aged.

When I watch Boozer. He's a difference maker. He makes the difference. His passing isn't as good as Kevin but his playmaking is miles better. His feel for the game in general is miles better. His attention to detail is miles better. He just thinks the game like a Jokic. I never saw Kevin as this winner. Even with LeBron, I thought Miami Bosh was a lot better. To be honest, I like Lauri more than I liked Kevin and Lauri didn't have Kevin's Minnesota data.

Kevin Love was league's better than Trae Young, come on, dude. From 2014-2017, he was +7.4 On-Court, +8.6 On/Off. He was the best player on the 2014 Minnesota Timberwolves, where he had exceptional +/- and box-score (8.9 BPM and +5.6 On-Court with +10.9 On/Off).

Spoiler:

Kevin Love 4-year RAPM ranks (2013-2020)
46
39
71
59
31
80
25
31


Kevin Love RAPTORranks (2013-2020, incomplete data set)
9
5
33
19
20
85
146


Kevin Love LEBRON ranks (2013-2020)
18
3
14
14
19
24
25
157

Kevin Love was a great player in his prime, particularly in 2014, as that was the only year he really got to show his half-court high-post/elbow hub passing in Rick Adelman's Corner Offense. He had his warts as a player, but anyone who can finish top five in various one-number metrics is simply an outstanding player in my book.

[Saints14]

Archetype doesn’t matter for the outliers. Jokic and Curry are bad archetypes but are so good you have teams trying (unsuccessfully) to find the next one. If Jokic was merely a good passing big with good touch he’d be viewed like Sabonis; if Curry was just a good shooter he might be coming off the bench. Boozer being so dominant at every level makes me want to bet on him being that kind of outlier

[babyjax13]

I know it’s lazy, but he really looks like a better, amped up version of what his dad brought. A big, burly, skilled traditional 4. He’s the archetype that has flopped the most from college to NBA, and has essentially gone extinct, but he’s so dominant it probably doesn’t matter.

that traditional archetype isn't exactly what he is though. He certainly has that size and that's likely the position he'll play but unlike most of those PFs he can't really defend and certainly isn't a shot blocker but conversely, unlike them, he can really pass and he can shoot the three. I think this is why he's more similar to a Kevin Love than he would be to a traditional PF like his father

His dad was also one of the more athletic traditional power forwards in the league.

[HMFFL]

Turns out Boozer has taken the lead in EvanMiya BPR (passing Zach Edey) and Hoop-Explorer Luck-Adjusted RAPM as well.





So in an update to this post I made earlier here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2396992&start=400#p121208446

Now Cameron Boozer leads all-time for the best single season in ALL of these four major advanced statistics.

At the age of 18, Cameron Boozer is nearly the best basketball player to step on an NCAA D1 court in the last decade. Not just among freshmen, but even among all players, including superstar seniors like Zach Edey and Yaxel Lendeborg. He's in the conversation for sure.

In these four advanced stats, this is where Cameron Boozer's 2025–26 season ranks all-time with 27 college games played:

College-Basketball-Reference BPM (going back to the 2010–11 season):

+20.1, Duke Freshman Zion Williamson 2019
+19.8, Duke Freshman Cameron Boozer 2026
+17.2, Kentucky Freshman Anthony Davis 2012
+17.1, South Carolina Senior Sindarius Thornwell 2017
+16.8, Purdue Senior Zach Edey 2024
+16.8, Michigan Senior Yaxel Lendeborg 2026

Bart Torvik BPM (going back to the 2007–08 season):

+18.7, Duke Freshman Zion Williamson 2019
+18.2, Duke Freshman Cameron Boozer 2026
+16.6, Kentucky Freshman Anthony Davis 2012
+15.8, South Carolina Senior Sindarius Thornwell 2017
+15.5, Davidson Sophomore Stephen Curry 2008
+15.5, Purdue Senior Zach Edey 2024

EvanMiya BPR (going back to the 2009–10 season):

+14.28, Purdue Senior Zach Edey 2024
+14.06, Duke Freshman Cameron Boozer 2026
+13.08, Michigan Senior Yaxel Lendeborg 2026
+13.07, Duke Freshman Cooper Flagg 2025
+12.84, Utah Sophomore Delon Wright 2015

Hoop-Explorer Luck-Adjusted RAPM (going back to the 2018–19 season):

+15.6, Purdue Senior Zach Edey 2024
+15.3, Duke Freshman Cameron Boozer 2026
+14.8, Michigan Senior Yaxel Lendeborg 2026
+14.3, Illinois Freshman Keaton Wagler 2026
+13.6, Duke Freshman Zion Williamson 2019

He is #2 in all of the four statistics! And depending on how his next games shake up, he may have the honor of taking the lead in all four of these stats.

The production is undeniable here.

Thanks for posting all the data.
I enjoyed looking it over.
Boozer is a must for any team.

[vincecarter4pres]

Archetype doesn’t matter for the outliers. Jokic and Curry are bad archetypes but are so good you have teams trying (unsuccessfully) to find the next one. If Jokic was merely a good passing big with good touch he’d be viewed like Sabonis; if Curry was just a good shooter he might be coming off the bench. Boozer being so dominant at every level makes me want to bet on him being that kind of outlier

I try to not get caught up in archetypes entirely as a concept and project on a case by case basis, but that’s what I’m saying all along. If Boozer doesn’t become a bad archetype unicorn, he might still put up big stats, but he’s probably going to be disappointing for the team who drafts him.

It just depends on if you really think he’s a break the mold guy. I felt Curry and Harden were, pretty strongly. I don’t necessarily feel that way about Boozer. I’m definitely not anti-Boozer, and he has an immense ceiling, but still feel the odds are stacked against him to truly hit it.

Others feel opposite and I respect that, cause it’s definitely possible.

[Caneman786]

Cameron Boozer takes the lead from Darryn Peterson in ESPN Analytics' Consensus Aggregate Rankings, which aggregates draft boards and rankings found all over the internet. Peterson slides to #3.

https://espnanalytics.com/nba-draft-simulator

[CptCrunch]

Me be looking at Boozer's box-score. See 0 for 4 shooting, oh great. Then I see 11 points wtf! 11-12 free throws in college

[RookieStar]

Me be looking at Boozer's box-score. See 0 for 4 shooting, oh great. Then I see 11 points wtf! 11-12 free throws in college

I mean... put aside my Duke bias, he does get hammered a lot and he is an inside player.