Cam Boozer adjusting to NBA spotlight as a solo act, feels he's prepared for next chapter

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.

He's on his own.

Sure, father Carlos, a two-time NBA All-Star and 13-year veteran, is just a phone call or text away. The biggest difference on the court and in daily life is twin brother Cayden isn't in Memphis with him. Cadyn stayed in college at Duke when Cam decided to enter the NBA 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. “But I mean me and him are prepared for this. We played with a lot of players over the years, and I think it’s exciting for both of us. Both of us having a new step in our 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. That could be a lot of pressure on someone who just turned 19 with one year of college at Duke.

Luckily, growing up a Boozer has helped Cam prepare for this moment.

“Oh, man, I definitely think it helped for sure," Boozer said. "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.”

Boozer slides into a young Grizzlies roster that includes center Zach Edey , Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, Scotty Pippen Jr. and G.G. Jackson. Memphis execs rave about all that Boozer brings with his shooting, rebounding, toughness and focus on winning.

“That’s what we want him to keep focusing on ...,” general manager Zach Kleiman said. “He’s obviously going to play a significant role. We’ll give him what he’s ready for. 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.”

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. 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. He also shot 39.1% outside the arc.

“Not going to put him in a box, not going to say anything that he won’t be able to do,” Kleiman said.

Coach Tuomas Iisalo expects Boozer to have an adjustment period and that the rookie will play inside as well as in the post. Iisalo likes Boozer's ball-handling skills giving Memphis versatility in and around the paint. Boozer averaged 4.1 assists at 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.

Boozer at least has a teammate who understands being a second-generation NBA player. 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.

“He’s been someone that, on both ends of the floor, he kind of has it all,” Pippen said. “I think he’s someone that’s going to hopefully change this franchise and do a lot of good things for us.”

Boozer joins a Memphis squad that revamped its roster with big trades sending away Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant earlier this year. The rookie sees his young teammates eager and motivated to make their mark on the league.

The Grizzlies forward already is a betting favorite to be the NBA Rookie of the Year, which would be Memphis' first since Morant in 2020 . Boozer said he knows achieving any goals like Rookie of the Year depend on winning, so that's what he's focused on doing.

That's part of the advice his father gave him to stay in each 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. “The biggest thing, if you maximize today, you’re going to put yourself in a good position for those things.”

AP freelance writer Clay Bailey in Memphis contributed to this report.

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