The Warriors had an unexpected outing, falling short against an inexperienced Grizzlies. The Dubs held a 12-point cushion late against them, cruising toward a win. But a 19-year-old rookie turned their comfortable finish into a collapse. Cameron Boozer leaves Draymond Green with a problem he had not anticipated.
The third pick in the 2026 NBA Draft offered far more than the polished, fundamentals-first game Green expected.
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"So I watched him a few times in high school, watched him in college, and I must say, you know, I always knew he's a smart basketball player, good rebounder, positional player, all those things. I had no clue he could move the way he moves. Also that he could shoot the way he shoots," Green said, speaking on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show
.
Especially speaking of Boozer's handles, Green exclaimed: "He can handle the ball like he… that piece was shocking to me."
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Boozer's performance against the Warriors supplied the evidence.
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He finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists. Coming off a poor shooting night on his debut (2-15 FG). Most importantly, after finishing with a 4-7 FG from the arc, the rookie's crucial play came in the clutch.
The Grizzlies rallied a 12-point comeback over the final 3:47 and it was Boozer who took the lead with his jumper. The bucket involved swift handles, a spin move, and a go-ahead jumper. Boom! Two-point lead with 20 seconds left on the clock.
The Warriors, who almost went scoreless in the final stretch, witnessed the star breaking out of the hatches. And no wonder DrayMagic was moved by him.
"So very impressed with Cam Boozer to start the season, but also just to go up against him for the first time, very strong, you know, doesn't back down from a challenge. He talks out there on the floor. Like, I was very, very, very impressed with Cam Boozer. And so it'll be interesting to see, you know, watch his progress as the season goes on to see how his career starts to play out, but I'm very impressed with Cam Boozer. Just, like I said, the thing that stood out most is he moves extremely well. He can handle the ball like he.. . that piece was shocking to me."
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Green was not questioning Boozer's talent before their first matchup.
He expected a smart player who could rebound and make sound positional reads. What surprised him was how many ways Boozer could create offense.
"I thought he'd be a 20-10 guy anyway. I didn't think it'd be like this though, like this type of 20-10, where it's threes, it's off the bounce, it's off the post, offensive boards. Like I didn't know it'd be all that. And so, yeah, very impressed with young Cam Boozer."
The performance stands out against Green's earlier comparison of Boozer to Tim Duncan, a reference to the Duke forward's grounded and interior presence.
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Boozer had arrived in the NBA after a remarkable freshman season, winning the Wooden Award and other major national honors before Memphis selected him third overall. He averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists at Duke.
But his first major NBA statement showed how his game can extend beyond the paint. His perimeter shooting forced the Warriors to respect him away from the basket.
Meanwhile, his handle gave him options when defenders closed out.
Green's surprise does not mean Boozer's career is already settled after one standout night. Memphis has a young top-three pick who can score from several levels and make decisions with the ball. The Warriors learned that lesson in a painful finish
.
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In short, their next task is finding a response.
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