4 To Watch In 2023

For every NBA player that decides to hang it up and retire there's another shining star in the gym working to become great. From high school on up there are guys that take a leap and elevate their game to another level. Crazy to think that this is my 5th installment of this annual series. Although I am really against heaping high praise on players before their junior year of high school there's one kid that I expect to put the world on notice in the coming months. Allow me to introduce you to Cameron Boozer.

To basketball fans this last name instantly stands out. Cameron is the son of Duke legend and former NBA all-star Carlos Boozer. He is the number 1 player in the 2025 class. Currently this hoop prodigy is listed at 6’9 and has plenty of time to continue growing considering that he recently turned 15 years old. In my personal opinion this was the most impressive high school player I watched over the summer. At an age where simply being bigger or more athletic than your peers can put you head and shoulders above the pack Cam has the skill set to be dominant even if he was 6’4. He has the ability to face up and score in the low post while also being capable of knocking down deep shots. His handle takes his shot creation to another level. His knack for rebounding and leading the break reminds me of Paolo Banchero. While his athleticism is at a supreme level his passing ability is a feature that’s easy to overlook because he’s creating highlights doing a bit of everything else on the floor. He has the ability to pass out of a double team while remaining poised which is a quality a lot of guys in the NBA struggle with. I expect him to be a fan favorite and develop a huge following before committing to a college. These days that could translate into a multitude of NIL deals and amplify his brand heading into the draft.

Next up we have rising Duke freshman Dariq Whitehead. Coming off a senior year for the ages that included All-American MVP and Naismith Prep Player of the Year honors Mr. Whitehead will be met with high expectations. The 4x high school national champion is a projected lottery pick in the 2023 NBA draft. Coming from Montverde Academy Dariq has played alongside NBA stars such as Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes. He is a 6'7 small forward that can impact the game in all areas. He's very explosive yet plays a smooth style of basketball. Very rarely does he make the wrong play which speaks to his IQ. Of all the tools he has in his game his most valuable move is the first step. Like Spencer Dinwiddie, he's very good at sizing up defenders and beating them with the first step. That feature contributes to his ability to be a 3-level scorer. When needed to be I think he'll be an aggressive that can wear down defenders like RJ Barrett did in his 1 year at Duke. Those that haven't seen him in action yet are in for a show!

In my personal opinion the best shooter in this rookie class is Summer League MVP Keegan Murray. Following up a 23ppg Summer League run Murray averaged 16 ppg on 70% from the field in the NBA preseason. With Sacramento not in position to compete for anything significant I can see Mike Brown giving him solid minutes throughout the season. Once he fully adapts to the pace of the league I can see a few nights where he sets the league on fire. At 6'8 and 225 lbs he will be difficult to defend with 1 wing player. His size will allow him to punish teams for using a small lineup. With his 6'11 wingspan I expect him to terrorize teams all season. I can see his game aging well…. kinda like Steve Smith. He could possibly serve as that type of player for close to 20 years if health allows him to.

Finally we have Delaware's own Bones Hyland. From VCU he's 1 full season into his career and he's already looking like a routine 6th Man of the Year candidate. He plays the game with the type of joy that makes it hard to root against him. With Denver rolling out a healthy roster this year I expect Bones to become an even bigger fan favorite. He will be in more high profile matchups which will amplify his popularity if he executes properly. Last season you could just see how easy the game was to him by the all star break. Bones has a very slender body type with a ridiculous handle and can get a shot off in any scenario. I think he's capable of a few 40 point games this season. The last time Jokic, MPJ, and Jamal Murray were all on the floor together in the playoffs they were in the Western Conference Finals in the Bubble. Jokic has won back to back MVP awards since then. Makes you wonder if Bones can play a key part in getting the Denver Nuggets into the NBA Finals.

4 To Watch In 2022

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic I did an annual list of basketball players on each level that I expected to take a huge leap in the upcoming season. The list consists of a player in high school, college, NBA rookie, and young veteran. I skipped last year because I didn't get a great look at the younger talent considering many events were cancelled. This time around I want to start off a little different. With that said let me introduce you to Victor Wembanyama

Wembanyama is a French 17 year old goalkeeper turned 7'3 hoop phenom. Some would say he's the best prospect in the world. Fresh off averaging 5.7 blocks a game in the U19 FIBA World Cup he's already viewed as one of the most lethal defensive weapons on Earth. He made his pro debut with Nanterre 92 in 2020. This team has had Tony Parker, Boris Dias, and Rudy Gobert in the past. That should say enough about their development of youth talent. With his mix of coordination, timing, and 7'9 wingspan he's an absolute nightmare on defense. A background in soccer definitely played a part in this. His ability to handle and shoot the ball feeds directly into the sentiment that foreign bigs are more skilled at a youth level than American bigs by a wide margin. Also he has an array of post moves and runs the floor like a wild deer. There's a possible chance that he comes over to the US in the 2023 draft. When his body matures and strengthens the possibilities are endless.

Next up we have the number 2 ranked recruit in the 2021 class Paolo Banchero. P5 is an Italian American from Seattle. After committing to Duke in August 2020 he's been considered the crown jewel of Coach K's final season. At 6'10 and 250 lbs you'd expect him to be a prototypical low post big man but he's far from that. With a great face up game and the ability to play bully ball Paolo can create for himself. He can also knockdown mid-range shots which can do a lot for floor spacing. His passing and ball handling makes him even more of a threat. Paolo has traits of multiple players but there isn't really 1 solid pick for a comparison. I've seen every comparison from an athletic David West to a stronger Tobias Harris. Honestly I think you would have to watch him without expectations and draw your own conclusion.

Straight out of Chesapeake Virginia we have the Oak Hill all time scoring leader Cam Thomas. In my opinion he's the best scorer in this year's draft. He went into summer league and left his mark winning Co-MVP after averaging 27 points per game. He's the ultimate 3 level scorer with unbreakable confidence. He's very shifty and strong. This helps him create space and score through contact. The biggest plus to the situation that he's in with Brooklyn is that he gets to work with some of the best scorers of this era. When I watch him I see flashes of different players. Two players that come to mind are Joe Johnson and Nick Young. Like Cam, they both have a real solid body and have no issue getting their shot off due to the ability to create and simply not give a fuck who is defending them. I have a serious belief that if Cam has a long healthy career he's capable of touching 25,000 points. He's going to make the 757 proud.

Last but not least we have Jordan Poole. He's my pick for Most Improved Player. I thought he was good coming out of Michigan but after having time to develop around future hall of famers he's on track to break out. After having front row seats to the Steph Curry show all last season he got the understanding of what it takes to elevate to the next level. Poole averaged 21.8 points per game on 50.6% shooting in the preseason and there's a great chance this translates to the regular season. The game is slowing down for him and becoming easier. With the possibility of a contract extension coming up Poole will literally be playing for a chance at generational wealth. Expect him to play like his life is on the line all season.

The 13th Greek God

Every year there’s a new mystery man entering the NBA. Back in the day it was usually some kid coming out of high school that you’ve heard about but only saw in the McDonald’s All-American Game. Now it’s some kid from overseas with a great highlight mixtape on youtube and a large social media following. Even with modern technology it’s still a very hit or miss process because there’s too many factors that could impact a player’s potential. Safe to say in June 2013 Milwaukee struck gold.

Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the draft at 18 years old as a 6’9 small forward weighing 196 lbs. The first time all NBA scouts had a chance to see him play in person was 3 weeks before the draft at a tournament in Italy. That was also his first time leaving his homeland of Greece. Most teams that were rebuilding at the time were looking for an instant star while Giannis was still a work in progress. His body type, athleticism, ability to finish that the rim, and enormous hands gave him unlimited potential. The Bucks not being under much pressure to win at the very moment were willing to take on the task of developing Giannis. After 23 starts in his rookie season he finished averaging 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2 assist. That was good enough for him to make the NBA All-Rookie 2nd Team. Fast forward 2 and a half seasons later Giannis has grown 2 inches and gained 26 lbs. He’s currently 3rd in Eastern Conference all star votes and his scoring has increased by 17 points per game. The “Greek Freak” has become a fan favorite while Anthony Bennett who was selected 1st in the same draft class was just waived by the league’s worst team (Brooklyn Nets). Coach Jason Kidd has groomed Giannis to the point that he can play all 5 positions at the age of 22. He’s still around 6 years from entering his prime. Scary to think how much better he can get if he remains healthy. Right now he leads his team in points, rebounds, blocks, steals, and assist. He’s out here earning every penny of that 4 year $100,000,000 contract. His game winner versus the New York Knicks last week in Madison Square Garden in a nationally televised game was his leap into stardom. From here I think he’ll continue to evolve and his popularity will skyrocket. Right now he’s on the current cover of Sports Illustrated and will be the first all star from the Bucks since Michael Redd. With an 18-18 record at the moment he has a great chance of leading a playoff run this season for the Bucks alongside Jabari Parker who is also having a great season. My personal opinion I think Giannis can become a future champion and MVP with the guidance of one of my favorite all time players Jason Kidd. Get hip if you haven’t already and watch a star in the making. Point out any flaws and see if there’s any improvement as the years go by. It’s a dope process to witness.

Foreign Gold

Over the last few seasons I’ve noticed the growing trend of foreign bigs being a hot commodity in the NBA. There’s been foreign Power Forwards and Centers in the league for a while, but not as many as it is now. Some like Dario Saric of the 76ers are drafted and don’t play till a few seasons later. Then it’s some like Kristaps Porzingis that are put in position to make an instant impact. Us as fans on draft night want our teams to get the guys we know about and not some mystery phenom we’ve never seen. This past June in the NBA draft between the Power Forward and Center positions only 11 of the 28 selected were American. I got a little theory on why that is...

Heading into the 2015 NBA draft many Knicks fans were hoping to have a shot at Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow, or D’Angelo Russell. A few mock drafts had them landing Emmanuel Mudiay with the 4th pick. Although Mudiay didn’t play NCAA basketball there was plenty footage of him playing in China that looked impressive. Phil Jackson made the call to draft Porzingis and I could literally hear my neighbor through the walls of my apartment yell “WHAT THE FUCK? WHO THE FUCK IS THIS?”. He was booed by Knicks fans on draft night and twitter was flooded with criticism of the pick. As a Laker fan I enjoyed every bit of the Knicks fans meltdown. The pick could have either turned out to be a Darko or Dirk. As his season kicked off Porzingis showed an impressive skill set that not many vets could even compete with. His balance of all around skill and athleticism is rare. Imagine combining Dirk and Pau then adding a 37 inch vertical which is higher than Blake Griffins’s. That’s scary with a 7’6 wingspan. The real upside is that his style of play doesn’t depend on his athletic ability which over time can and will decline. By the end of the season Porzingis he had 21 double doubles, made the All-Rookie 1st Team, and had the 4th highest selling jersey in the league. That’s instant productivity, revenue, and star power with the potential to increase year by year. With the NBA being a copycat league teams would be crazy not to look overseas for more hidden talent. A growing trend with young basketball players in the US (specifically bigs) is athletic guys that can run fast and catch a lob from the sky but can’t box out a guard or shoot a free throw. When it comes to the bigs the foreign guys usually come into the NBA more skilled. Remember a guy named Arvydas Sabonis? Basic fundamentals have accomplished way more than athleticism. Compare Tim Duncan’s career to Josh Smith’s if you think I’m lying. *shrugs*

Now that leads me to the 2016 NBA draft. Coming off a season where Brice Johnson averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds as a senior at UNC he fell to 25th in the draft. Those number are great but don’t tell the whole story. Johnson lacked post defense and strength at the college level so the chances of holding his own against powerful guys in the NBA are very slim. He struggled to finish through contact, bites on fakes easily, gets lost in transition, and being held responsible for leaving Kris Jenkins wide open for the game winner in the 2016 national championship game highlighted his lack of awareness. On the positive side he’s quick, solid on the boards, and great in the pick & roll. Decent starting point for a team that’s willing to take time developing him, but not appealing to a team looking for instant impact. Guys like Jakob Poeltl who was drafted 9th in the same draft have the fundamentals and strength needed at the higher level. As long as big men stick to the basic skills there’s always a demand for them in the NBA. They say the back to the basket big man is a thing of the past yet Marc Gasol is still here while Dakari Johnson is trying to fight his way out of the D-League. MORAL OF THE STORY: Skill is more dependable than talent

2016-2017 NBA Preview: Weight Of The World

It’s been a busy summer for the NBA to say the very least. Many trades, signings, and great draft picks were made. For a select few heading into this upcoming season it’s now or never. Once you look beyond the Warriors picking up Kevin Durant it’s a few narratives that are very interesting. Let’s start in New York….

Derrick Rose came into the NBA like a supernova full of promise as the number 1 pick in the 2008 draft. He went on to win Rookie Of The Year, MVP in 2011, and 3 all-star game appearances. After his left ACL tear in the 1st round of the 2012 playoffs Rose missed the entire following season. When he finally returned in 2013 he only played 10 games before tearing his right meniscus vs the Blazers. An abundance of injuries followed totaling 201 missed games. That’s over 2 seasons of games missed. Now the 28 year old point guard that should be entering his prime has a new squad, new number, and a new problem. D Rose is currently fighting a gang rape charge. As a fan that wants this brother to get back to being as great as he once was on the path of becoming I have realistic doubts. It’s up to him to trust his body and still have that same determination that made many of us fans. Will he defy the odds?

Joel Embiid was drafted 3rd in 2014 and is days away from playing in his 1st NBA game. The Cameroonian 22 year old center was the Big 12 Defensive Player Of The Year after 1 season with the Kansas Jayhawks. He didn’t even play basketball till he was 15 and instantly became a 5 star recruit. I used to love watching him and Wiggins play together (minus the night they beat Duke). His post game is even better than his defense. The Sixers drafted him while recovering from a stress fracture in his back and a foot surgery so he was expected to miss time from day one. He foot didn’t heal correctly so he had to go through the “Process” again missing all of last season. So far in the preseason he looks as impressive as I expected him to. He’s my pick for Rookie Of The Year. He’s criticized often for his playful demeanor, but on that court he’s all business. There’s people that can’t wait to label him a bust but I got faith that JoJo will be great as long as he remains healthy.

ClipSet….where do I start? Steve Ballmer bought this poor ass team for 2 billion after the whole Donald Sterling saga and really haven’t accomplished much since. From the 2011 lockout to now the Clippers have been a top 5 team in the West and won over 60% of their games each season. The playoffs have been brutal for this this team and as a Laker fan I’ve enjoyed EVERY SINGLE SECOND of their postseason meltdowns. The routine is starting to get a little old now. Personally I think they should have blew it up and went with a new formula because what they have at this very moment still isn’t enough to get the job done. It’s time we put the spotlight Doc Rivers for not doing anything more than what Vinny Del Negro was fired for with the same core. His whole coaching reputation is built around the success of a loaded Celtics team and that’s about it. Right now he has Jamal Crawford pulling some of the worst shots you could imagine in hopes of saving the team in the clutch and can’t teach Deandre Jordan a post move he can do twice. I’m not impressed. Next we have Chris Paul who I think is the most overrated leader in the league. You can’t be the “best leader in the game” and can’t get out of the 2nd round. We’ve seen him go from debatable top point guard to possibly not even top 5. At 31 the champion window is closing and like clockwork I can depend on Chris Paul to fold in the big moments. Blake Griffin has developed parts to his game that can add years to his career but injuries have taken some of that added time back. As an upcoming free agent next summer he could possibly leave if this team doesn’t move beyond this point they’re stuck at. You look down the roster and see JJ Redick will be a free agent as well. Scary! Make a miracle happen or it’s back to being the irrelevant team in the western conference.

Kyle Lowry has put himself in position to be the best point guard in the eastern conference. Sports Illustrated has him ranked as the 14th best player in the entire league. It’s easy for a casual fan to overlook him because the Raptors don’t play many national games, but his playoff run last season increased his stock. He led Toronto to the 2nd best record in the East and the 3rd round of the playoffs. More eyes will be on him than ever before. There will be no better time for him than this season to flip the switch and go into a zone he’s never seen before in order to make a NBA Finals run. He was 2 wins away from making it there last season and I’m sure he’s ready to fight his way back.