The Brooklyn Nets are battling for positioning in a heated tank race as the NBA season winds down. If the season ended today, the rebuilding squad would have the third-best odds in May's draft lottery. Draft Analyst Jonathan Wasserman projected the Nets to select Duke star Cam Boozer with the No. 3 pick in his latest mock.
While Boozer's skeptics continue to voice concerns about his grounded athleticism, Wasserman said the freshman star is unlikely to fall past third.
“There isn't much left Boozer can show to change the minds of scouts who visualize more upside with [A.J.] Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson or [Caleb] Wilson,” Wasserman wrote. “Despite shooting better from three (39.1 percent) on more volume than Dybantsa, posting a 26.0 assist percentage—higher than Peterson's, Dybantsa's and lottery guards like Keaton Wagler and Brayden Burries, and grading in Synergy Sports' 90th percentile or better in ball screen and isolation possessions, there is still some lingering fear around his lack of quickness, vertical pop and defensive projection. The 18-year-old with two FIBA MVPs and Gold Medals, four high school state championships and three EYBL Peach Jam titles could have led Duke to a national championship, and there will still be evaluators who'll worry that he'll lack the height or athleticism to continue creating advantages in the NBA.
“But there's also a bandwagon of Boozer believers who simply buy the results, intangibles, in-game problem-solving and expanding versatility with his ball-handling and shooting. Though it's going to take a specific general manager for him to go No. 1, No. 3 still does seem like a worst-case outcome. Boozer could go No. 1, 2 or 3, depending on how each of those teams' general managers define and prioritize upside.”
While concerns about how Boozer's skill set will translate to the NBA persist, there's no denying his dominance this season.
Where would Cam Boozer stack up among former top Nets draft selections?
Boozer averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists on .556/.391/.789 shooting splits while leading the Blue Devils to a 35-3 record. The 18-year-old posted a +18.74 box plus/minus, the second highest among any player in the last 16 years, behind only Zion Williamson (+20.1).
He is the only player in the last 19 years to post a usage rate above 30 percent, a true shooting percentage over 65, and an assist-to-turnover ratio over 1.5, per BartTorvik.com. If not for a shocking turnover and an improbable Braylon Mullins shot, Boozer would be starring in the Final Four on Saturday.
Boozer would instantly step in as the Nets' most highly-touted draft pick of the Brooklyn era, if not all-time.
The Nets have picked in the top 14 of the draft 24 times in their franchise's history. Those players have combined for just seven All-Star appearances.
Buck Williams (drafted in 1981) is the only lottery pick to make multiple All-Star appearances with the team. Derrick Coleman (1994), Kenny Anderson (1994), Kenyon Martin (2004) and Brook Lopez (2013) are the only other lottery picks to earn an All-Star selection with the organization.
The Nets sit in third place in the draft lottery standings with seven games remaining. They have one fewer win than the Sacramento Kings in fourth and one more than the Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers, who are tied for first.
