Cameron Boozer is only a few weeks into his NBA career, and already he looks like one of the most well-rounded offensive players in the entire league. After a monster year at Duke, everyone expected Boozer to be as pro-ready as a one-and-done guy could get, and man, has he delivered through the first two weeks of the 2026-27 season. This guy is the new focal point for the Grizzlies, not just a nightly double-double threat, but he is leading a *winning* team. With Memphis off to an absolutely red-hot start, Boozer’s play has him squarely in the All-Star conversation for the coming months.
The “Not Perfect” Grade That Should Scare Everyone
So, here is the wild part: Sporting News’ NBA expert Steph Noh gave Boozer an A- for his first seven games. An A-! For a guy who just got here! Noh noted Boozer has shown “great polish” and legitimately looks “like an NBA veteran despite being the youngest player in the league.” Think about that for a second. The youngest player in the league is already playing like a grizzled vet. Noh only put one rookie ahead of Boozer: Yaxel Lendeborg of the Warriors, who has been a revelation, dropping 21.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, immediately becoming a top scoring option for Golden State. When you are only behind someone who is “historically great early” in their rookie season, that is no knock at all. Boozer is absolutely as NBA-ready as scouts predicted, orchestrating a ton of offense for Memphis, who are easily one of the biggest surprises in the NBA right now.
From “Inefficient” to Unstoppable
Now, let’s talk about that “A-.” Why wasn’t it a perfect A+? Noh did point out that Boozer was a bit inefficient early, shooting just 29% from the field through his first three games. But since then? He has flipped a switch. His 10.8 rebounds per game rank eighth among all NBA players, and his 5.6 assists per game are second among all rookies. Seriously, second among *all rookies* in assists, and top ten in the entire league for rebounds. Oh, and the Grizzlies? They are a stunning 7-1, with their only loss coming in overtime against the Pelicans on Monday. The team actually matched their best start in franchise history with a 6-0 run, something they hadn’t done since the 2014-15 season! Boozer also dropped his first career triple-double against the Trail Blazers last week, cementing himself as one of the most versatile players in the whole damn league. This kid is making history. He is the fastest player since 1960 to hit 100+ points, 50+ rebounds, and 25+ assists.
This Rookie of the Year race is absolutely loaded, and it will take a lot for Boozer to win the award outright, but he is without a doubt going to shatter some Grizzlies rookie records this season if he keeps this insane pace. You don’t want to miss a single minute of this guy. Catch every local Grizzlies broadcast exclusively on DAZN.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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