Post by jhb on May 26, 2021 12:12:27 GMT -5
Carlos Boozer
PF
6'9"
258
20
Duke
On the younger end of the age range in the draft class despite being a three-year college starter on a Duke team that won a national title, Boozer was a key cog in an offense that was top 2 in the nation in scoring all three years he was on campus. An expert on taking and making good shots, Boozer used the high powered perimeter threats around him to clean up on easy opportunities in the paint where he finished his collegiate career making over 63% of his shots from the floor despite lacking elite size and length for an interior scoring threat. Scouts tout his TMBSL-ready body, where he's got the strength and girth to hold up to the rigors of a TMBSL schedule over 82 games, setting him apart from many other 20 year olds coming out. Many scouts have also credited with being a team player, as he has played out of position as the center for his college team, when he likely projects more as a 4 long-term.
Offensively, Boozer is a great presence on the low block. Though he can sometimes struggle against taller defenders, he'll likely be able to work at the 4 as a pro rather than playing the 5 like he did at Duke with many great combo forwards around him. His post footwork is fantastic and he uses a variety of ways to finish effectively, including a nice turnaround jumper, jump-hook, and up and under. His drop step is fantastic and he has a nice finesse in the paint and soft touch to finish. He is a good ball-handler for his size and does a good job not being separated from the basketball when engaged on a defender in the post and can handle drawing the double team without panicking and turning it over. He can also handle contact and does a tremendous job finishing with contact and going to the charity stripe, where he's an effective free throw shooter (74% in college). His jumper is solid out to 18 feet but ideally needs some mechanical tweaks as he will sometimes shoot with a high release and little to no arch, but it hasn't stopped him from being effective to this point. He looks like he could manage shooting three pointers, but he has not shown that to be a part of his game yet and the lack of arch on his shot will be more pronounced the further he tries to step back.
Defensively, Boozer may drop some on the boards. He also struggles defensively against taller players on the defensive end of the court (though moving to the 4 rather than the 5 will help tremendously) and he has only average lateral quickness. He's sometimes late with his rotations and that can lead him into foul trouble. He's not much of a shot blocking threat but hopefully can at least be a decent team defender who will hold his own with his good strength on the low block and whose deficiencies can be hidden to take advantage of his offensive ability. Above average rebounder on both ends who is very capable and willing to box out and has good instincts for judging where the ball will carom.
