Cam Boozer has had a stellar 10-game start to his young NBA career. The 19-year-old has helped push the Memphis Grizzlies to a surprising 7-3 record.
After a 22-point, 8-rebound and 8-assist outing in a road win against the Toronto Raptors, Boozer became the fastest forward to reach 50 assists since LeBron James, per Real App.
The Playmaking Genius
While his finishing around the rim and shooting are still coming around, Boozer’s playmaking has been key to his and the Grizzlies’ early success.
Boozer is averaging 5.5 assists a game, ranking him 29th in the league and 11th among players listed as a forward or center, per ESPN. He ranks second among rookies, behind only Darius Acuff Jr.
His playmaking ability should come as no surprise. Boozer did similar things at Duke, and playmaking has been at the forefront of any analysis on him.
“Boozer’s passing is what separates him from every other big in this class, reading the floor like a point guard,” NBA.com’s draft analysis said.
He adjusted to the NBA almost immediately. While he’s the youngest player in the association, Boozer is far from his ceiling.
The Grizzlies took a different approach to their offense in Monday night’s victory over the Raptors. Boozer was one of the main ball handlers, and Tuomas Iisalo had them running a lot of reverse pick-and-rolls.
This opens the lane for even more assist opportunities. Once his finishing ability starts to settle in, more players will crash on him, leaving teammates open for him to find. And, yes, he’ll find them.
Grizzlies 7-3 Start
To just about everyone’s surprise, the Memphis Grizzlies are 7-3 and 7th in the Western Conference.
After a 6-0 start, they came down to earth, losing three straight at home, before beating a injury-riddled Raptors squad on the road.
The early sentiment is that the schedule is light. With two games apiece against the putrid Jazz and Kings, it’s hard to argue the claim. While four of their wins came against arguably the two worst teams in the association, they also carry some impressive wins: A comeback road win against the Warriors who are on an eight-game win streak and a dominant 21-point road win against the Blazers.
One of their next five are against teams over .500, before the schedule starts to really rev up. Regardless of any schedule talk, a team that was projected to be near the bottom of the West is currently 7-3 and 6-0 on the road.
The second-youngest roster in the league is seemingly ahead of its rebuild. With the picks the Grizzlies carry in future drafts, they’re poised for a promising future.
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