Grizzlies aim to keep bonding, building as summer league shifts to Vegas
LAS VEGAS – Through his initial appearances in summer league play, Grizzlies rookie lottery pick Cam Boozer has already shown there’s not much he can’t do on an NBA basketball court.
Off the court, however, there is at least one area where a struggle surfaces. Just ask the 18-year-old power forward about himself and how his adjustment process is going.
“It’s really more about the team,” Boozer often insists as he deflects the focus from himself and onto the team’s collective mindset. “How can we keep growing together and try to win games? We just have to keep building, keep learning from each other and keep playing the right way.”
So far, Boozer’s shooting has been great.
His passing and facilitating have been next-level phenomenal.
And his knack for being in ideal position to make the right play on both ends of the court has NBA scouts confident Boozer will have an immediate impact in his transition to the league.
But the best skill Boozer has shown is perhaps an ability to keep everything in perspective. That characteristic will be key as the Grizzlies shift from their initial three-game summer stint in Salt Lake City to the full 30-team setup in Las Vegas for NBA Summer League action.
When the Grizzlies open the Vegas portion of their summer schedule Friday against the Bulls, it will mark the second game for Boozer against another marquee player chosen near the top of last month’s NBA Draft.
The Grizzlies selected Boozer out of Duke with the third overall pick, one spot before the Bulls took Caleb Wilson fourth out of North Carolina. Boozer and Wilson were widely considered the top two power forward prospects coming into the NBA following their lone season in college.
Understandably, a national TV network audience and the Vegas spotlights will be on that matchup. What’s also clear is Boozer will deflect that focus onto his team’s objective to keep building the foundation from a week of minicamp in Memphis and three games in Salt Lake City.
“The best part about what he does – and what our team embodies – is he has a team-first mentality,” Grizzlies summer league coach Erik Schmidt shared about his early impressions of Boozer. “He’s not trying to do what’s best for him; he’s doing what’s best for the team. Overall, that’s the culture we’ve set with the Grizzlies, having that team-first mentality.”
That mindset and versatile skillset have produced encouraging early signs. It’s why the Grizzlies are so excited about the potential Boozer adds to a retooled younger core as the franchise reshapes the roster amid a pivotal offseason.
That process continued Wednesday when the Grizzlies announced a six-team trade that centered on acquiring defensive-oriented big man Isaiah Stewart and a conditional future first-round draft pick. Memphis also signed restricted free-agent center Quinten Post from Golden State in a move that bolsters a rugged and skilled frontcourt around Boozer and starting center Zach Edey, a first-team NBA All-Rookie pick two seasons ago.
The Grizzlies have taken a clear path forward by reestablishing their frontcourt foundation.
Based on initial results in summer league development and offseason transactions, there’s encouraging progress being made on multiple fronts.
On the court, Boozer is coming off a two-game stint in Salt Lake City where he averaged 16 points, six rebounds and five assists as he shot an uber-efficient, 65-percent from the field. That second outing came Monday in a high-profile game against the host Utah Jazz, which drafted Kansas scoring guard Darryn Peterson with the second overall pick.
Both Peterson and Boozer delivered in that game. Boozer finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists while Peterson countered with 25 points and 12 assists to lead the Jazz to a 109-100 victory.
Boozer and Peterson are part of a lottery draft class many analysts believe could be the most talented the NBA has seen in 30 years. After facing the Grizzlies, Peterson alluded to the competitive drive between many of the players taken at the top of this draft class.
National networks are capitalizing on those potential budding rivalries with the first games in Las Vegas, where Peterson’s Jazz will face the Wizards and No. 1 pick A.J. Dybansta on Thursday.
What’s impressed teammates and coaches most about Boozer is how he combines a relentless work ethic with a willingness to learn and a low-key public persona despite the attention he’s drawn. At Duke, Boozer was a consensus National Player of the Year as a son of former Blue Devils standout and two-time NBA All-Star forward Carlos Boozer.
With the Grizzlies these first few weeks, Boozer is simply the rookie eager to learn the ropes of the NBA and meet each day’s challenge with his summer teammates.
Boozer was among the summer team starters held out of Tuesday’s final game in Salt Lake City on the second night of a back-to-back set. But that didn’t stop him from being locked in and engaged as if he suited up, according to rookie undrafted guard Brendan Hausen.
“He’s really vocal in the locker room and he’s taken steps every single day,” described Hausen, who led the Grizzlies with 21 points against the Hawks. “He’s even bigger and better in person than I could imagine. Obviously, what he did at Duke was special. But he’s a pure talent and is going to be really good (at this level).”
Grizzlies forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper has seen promising young talent come into the league each of the three seasons he’s been in the NBA.
Yet, there are things that set Boozer apart.
“He’s very, very, very mature for his years,” Prosper explained. “The way he plays the game, he plays at his own pace. He’s fundamentally skilled. And he’s just a great dude off the court. He’s going to be a great addition to our team, and I’m glad I’m able to play with him right now to start learning from him and for him to start learning from us. He’s been great for us.”
Schmidt knows what he’s seen so far is only the beginning.
Boozer’s barely taken baby steps into the NBA.
“The cleanest way to put it is he impacts winning,” Schmidt analyzed. “That’s the type of player you want to bring into this organization. He’s not the only one; we have other rookies who will impact winning also. In terms of how he does it, one, he sees the game extremely well.”
That vision leads to instinctive action.
“He processes things at an extremely fast speed, he involves his teammates and gets people going,” Schmidt continued. “He’s able to create in a lot of different ways, whether he’s handling or screening or creating extra possessions off offensive boards. He’s able to do a bit of it all.”
All, except making any of this initial process about himself.