NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Cam Boozer finds himself in an unfamiliar space as he embarks on the NBA career he has prepared for his entire life.
asserted
he → find → life
He’s on his own.
asserted
He → ’ → own
Cadyn stayed in college at Duke when Cam decided to enter the NBA draft.
asserted
Cam → stay → draft
“The biggest thing is just not going through the tough moments and the great moments with him,” Boozer said during the Grizzlies’ training camp.
asserted
Boozer → go → camp
“But I mean me and him are prepared for this.
asserted
me → mean → this
We played with a lot of players over the years, and I think it’s exciting for both of us.
asserted
it → play → us
Both of us having a new step in our journey.”
asserted
Both → have → journey
That first step came in June when the Memphis Grizzlies made Cam Boozer the No. 3 overall pick hoping the 6-foot-10, 250-pound forward is the key piece for a franchise rebuilding yet again through the draft.
asserted
forward → come → draft
That could be a lot of pressure on someone who just turned 19 with one year of college at Duke.
uncertain
who → turn → Duke
Luckily, growing up a Boozer has helped Cam prepare for this moment.
asserted
Cam → grow → moment
“Oh, man, I definitely think it helped for sure,” Boozer said.
asserted
Boozer → think → ?
“I think at the end of the day, everybody has to get tossed into it, and I think it helps you get prepared hearing your parents give you advice and things like that, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to go through it yourself.”
asserted
you → think → it
Grizzlies leaning into Boozer’s versatility
Boozer slides into a young Grizzlies roster that includes center Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, Scotty Pippen Jr. and G.G. Jackson.
asserted
that → lean → Edey
Memphis execs rave about all that Boozer brings with his shooting, rebounding, toughness and focus on winning.
asserted
Boozer → rave → winning
“That’s what we want him to keep focusing on ...,” general manager Zach Kleiman said.
asserted
Kleiman → ’ → what
“He’s obviously going to play a significant role.
asserted
He → go → role
We’ll give him what he’s ready for.
asserted
he → give → what
I suspect he’ll, as he always has, he’ll find a way to make even more of an impact than people expect of him.”
asserted
people → suspect → him
The Grizzlies aren’t ready to define exactly what Boozer will do, giving him some freedom to slide out to the perimeter and shoot from outside.
asserted
Boozer → define → outside
The AP men’s player of the year averaged 22.5 points a game and grabbed 10.2 rebounds a game in his only season at Duke.
asserted
player → average → Duke
He also shot 39.1% outside the arc.
asserted
He → shoot → arc
“Not going to put him in a box, not going to say anything that he won’t be able to do,” Kleiman said.
asserted
Kleiman → go → that
Coach Tuomas Iisalo expects Boozer to have an adjustment period and that the rookie will play inside as well as in the post.
asserted
rookie → expect → post
Iisalo likes Boozer’s ball-handling skills giving Memphis versatility in and around the paint.
asserted
Iisalo → like → paint
Boozer averaged 4.1 assists at Duke.
asserted
Boozer → average → Duke
“His passing already is at a very, very high level, and I think that is something we will definitely utilize whether he’s a handler, whether he’s a receiver in screening situations,” Iisalo said.
asserted
Iisalo → think → situations
Betting favorite for NBA Rookie of the Year
Boozer at least has a teammate who understands being a second-generation NBA player.
asserted
who → bet → teammate
Pippen’s father, Scottie, had six championships with Chicago, and the Grizzlies guard has been impressed with how the rookie doesn’t really make mistakes.
asserted
rookie → have → mistakes
“He’s been someone that, on both ends of the floor, he kind of has it all,” Pippen said.
asserted
Pippen → have → it
“I think he’s someone that’s going to hopefully change this franchise and do a lot of good things for us.
asserted
that → think → us
Boozer joins a Memphis squad that revamped its roster with big trades sending away Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant earlier this year.
asserted
that → join → Jr.
The rookie sees his young teammates eager and motivated to make their mark on the league.
asserted
teammates → see → league
Boozer said he knows achieving any goals like Rookie of the Year depend on winning, so that’s what he’s focused on doing.
asserted
he → say → what
That’s part of the advice his father gave him to stay in each moment.
asserted
father → ’ → moment
“When you get caught looking ahead and you want to do this or you want to do that, you kind of lose focus of today,” Boozer said.
asserted
Boozer → catch → today
“The biggest thing, if you maximize today, you’re going to put yourself in a good position for those things.”
asserted
you → maximize → things
___
AP freelance writer Clay Bailey in Memphis contributed to this report.
asserted
Bailey → contribute → report
The Aporia
