Duke Star Cameron Boozer Climbs NBA Rookie Ladder

Duke's Cameron Boozer has received a strong ranking on the NBA's official Rookie Ladder.

NBA.com ranked the Memphis Grizzlies rookie first overall in its second edition of the season.

Boozer, 19, was selected third overall in the 2026 NBA Draft after one season at Duke.

He is averaging 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game through the first eight games of the 2026-27 season.

Those numbers place him second on the Grizzlies in both points and assists per game.

He leads Memphis in rebounds per game.

His shooting percentages are 36.4 percent from the field, 36.7 percent from three-point range, and 94.4 percent from the free-throw line.

The efficiency numbers are low, but Boozer is still contributing on both ends of the floor.

Memphis has started the season 6-2, putting them among the top teams in the Western Conference.

Boozer has been a key piece in that early success.

His playmaking has been an underrated aspect of his game, helping the Grizzlies generate open looks for teammates.

Boozer played one season at Duke, where he won the AP Player of the Year Award.

He averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game for the Blue Devils.

His shooting percentages at Duke were 55.6 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc.

He led Duke to a 35-3 record and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Regional Final.

The Blue Devils fell to the UConn Huskies in that game, ending their season.

Despite the disappointing finish, Boozer made his mark at Duke.

Now he is continuing to develop in his rookie NBA campaign.

If Boozer maintains this level of play and improves his shooting efficiency, he will be among the top contenders for the Rookie of the Year Award.

He would be the second straight former Duke player to win the award.

Cooper Flagg won Rookie of the Year in the 2025-26 season.

Flagg averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

He shot 46.8 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from three-point range.

Flagg beat out another former Duke star, Kon Knueppel, to win the award.

Other former Duke players who have won the Rookie of the Year Award include Paolo Banchero, Kyrie Irving, Elton Brand, and Grant Hill.

The Blue Devils have developed elite NBA talent over the years.

Boozer is one of the latest examples of that pipeline.

In a recent game against the Indiana Pacers, Boozer faced veteran forward Pascal Siakam for the first time.

The Grizzlies lost 107-103 at FedExForum.

Boozer finished with 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three-point range.

He added 6 rebounds and 4 assists in 33 minutes.

He committed 5 turnovers and did not attempt a free throw.

Siakam scored 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting and had 5 rebounds and 2 steals.

Both of Siakam's steals came off Boozer turnovers.

After the game, Boozer spoke candidly about what he learned from the matchup.

"It was a fun matchup," Boozer said.

"For me, it pointed out some things I could get better at. Obviously, he's someone who's been in the league for a long time. He's won championships, and he's been a huge contributor to winning teams. So it was great to match up with him, and there's a lot of fun out there."

Boozer identified the need to slow down as a key area for improvement.

"I would just say sometimes it's just playing a little rushed," Boozer said.

"Just got to slow down. But [something] I'm going to clean up, [something] I'm going to look at it and get better."