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AJ Dybantsa is seen as having extremely high upside with a tremendously high floor. He’s a safer pick than Peterson. His offensive game is more well-rounded than Wilson’s. And scouts believe his athletic upside gives him a stronger chance to be a No. 1 option than Boozer.
It’s all about power and explosiveness for Caleb Wilson. He plays with terrific bend and balance as a driver. Combine that with his strength and leaping ability, and you get a special player who can dominate at the rim. The further into the cycle we get, the more I hear from scouts who see Wilson in the same group as Peterson, Dybantsa and Boozer, with some even ranking him as a top-three player in the class. It didn’t hurt Wilson’s case that he outperformed all three of those players when North Carolina played them this season (in Dybantsa’s case, in the preseason, but still).
And while teams continue to stress that next month's lottery will play a major factor, the majority of scouts and executives interviewed see AJ Dybantsa as the favorite. "I guess you'd rather fail with [AJ] and his upside, than not," a Western Conference general manager told ESPN. "And I know Peterson has upside, maybe Boozer's upside is a little bit less. ... I just think that [AJ], because he's 6-9 and he could be like 6-10, 230 [pounds] by the time he's 25 years old, he could just be a monster. I think you've just got to go down swinging with him if you go down." "I think Peterson is the most talented guy," an Eastern Conference executive said, "but the injury stuff is a real question. That's a valid concern, and it's been a weird year. But he's a huge talent, and he was No. 1 at the start of the season for a reason."
Darryn Peterson made his NCAA Tournament debut while Brooklyn was hosting the Knicks on Friday, while Boozer made his Thursday afternoon. Dybantsa put on an all-time performance in BYU’s loss to Texas, looking like a potential No. 1 overall pick. “He’s going to be a great player. People talk about comparisons to [Kevin Durant], Jayson Tatum, and it does look like it to me,” Nets rookie Egor Dëmin told The Post of his BYU successor. “It’s a lot of midrange, really aggressive driver, slasher, the transition game, physicality, crazy athlete. He’s got everything to be able to play on the highest level.”
Carlos Boozer says while his son may not have a “40-inch vertical,” he is an elite worker and leader, and his “skill set, IQ and will to win set him apart.” The 13-year NBA veteran added that teams passing on his son will regret it. “There are not that many guys that can be an 18-year-old on the biggest stage in college basketball like Duke basketball — [and] with what comes with that — and the entire team will follow him,” Carlos Boozer said. “You know why they do that with Cameron? Because he gives so much to the game. He gives so much to his team. Whatever it takes, he’s an unselfish superstar, and that translates to the NBA.
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“You look at what Tim Duncan did. I’m not comparing Cameron to Tim Duncan, but he was another guy that wasn’t [athletically] a Kevin Garnett or a Tracy McGrady or a Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O’Neal. But you know what he did? He won five championships in that era [against] those players — the Kobes and the Shaqs, because of his IQ, because of his skill set, and because his team would follow him. “That is who Cameron is. He’s a modern-day version of that. People are going to follow him because of what he gives to the team and what he gives to the game. That translates into winning. So. if you want to win, you pick Cameron. And I’m going to tell you this: The GMs that don’t pick Cam, they’re going to regret that 15 years from now.”
The Boozer twins considered Miami and Florida before following in their father’s big footsteps to Duke. Along with the pressure of being a Boozer at Duke, there was even more pressure that came from the high expectations of playing for college basketball’s most followed program. Carlos Boozer says it’s “been a dream come true” and “incredible” to see his sons not only follow him to Duke but overcome the pressure that comes with playing there.
“I’m just proud of them for going through the fire,” Carlos Boozer said. “I know the weight that gets carried when you put on that Duke uniform. The expectations are through the roof, the players that have played in that jersey before you. … And then multiply that times 10 when your dad won a championship there, and he’s in the Hall of Fame there, had a good career in the NBA, and the pressure that comes with that. “They could have chosen a different path. They could have chosen a path that’s just for them that has no history behind it. They’re making their own history. They could have chosen to go to University of Miami. But my boys, one thing I’ll tell you about my boys, they don’t duck no smoke. They want all the smoke. And I know what that’s like because I was the same way. They are cut from this cloth, and it’s in their blood to be that way. So, I’m proud of them.”
Which NCAA prospect impresses you the most so far? Scout #2: “With Dybantsa, Peterson, and Boozer, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of those guys. Boozer surprised me the most. I saw him last summer in an AAU tournament. He was awesome. Depending on a team’s need, if you needed someone like him, I could see him going one. I don’t think people would think you’re crazy. He’s pretty damn good. He’s better than what I thought he would be. He’s able to impose his will on the game. He’s super competitive. His shot is going to improve. He’s not very athletic. But he gets a lot of things done. He’s a good player. As a freshman, I thought his athleticism would be an issue. But he has proven that he knows how to win.”
Duke has had a long list of incredible freshmen who are current or former NBA players, including former No. 1 picks Elton Brand, Cooper Flagg, Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero and Kyrie Irving. Carlos Boozer believes Cameron may be the best freshman to don a Blue Devils jersey. “Cam has had one of the best seasons of any college basketball player,” Carlos Boozer said. “He’s 18. He’s not like a junior that’s 20 years old; he’s been in college for six months. And the kid averaged almost 23 points a game, over 10 rebounds, has dominated the ACC, which is much more competitive than it’s been in recent years. He’s gone against some of the best players. “He’s gone against the Florida frontcourt that people thought was the best in the country, had a 30 ball [actually 29 points] against them and a [win]. He went against Michigan. Other people thought they were the best frontcourt in the country. [Duke] got that win and [he] almost had a triple-double in that game in D.C. He’s taken on all the challenges.”
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“There are not that many guys that can be an 18-year-old on the biggest stage in college basketball like Duke basketball — [and] with what comes with that — and the entire team will follow him,” Carlos Boozer said. “You know why they do that with Cameron? Because he gives so much to the game. He gives so much to his team. Whatever it takes, he’s an unselfish superstar, and that translates to the NBA. “You look at what Tim Duncan did. I’m not comparing Cameron to Tim Duncan, but he was another guy that wasn’t [athletically] a Kevin Garnett or a Tracy McGrady or a Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O’Neal. But you know what he did? He won five championships in that era [against] those players — the Kobes and the Shaqs, because of his IQ, because of his skill set, and because his team would follow him. “That is who Cameron is. He’s a modern-day version of that. People are going to follow him because of what he gives to the team and what he gives to the game. That translates into winning. So. if you want to win, you pick Cameron. And I’m going to tell you this: The GMs that don’t pick Cam, they’re going to regret that 15 years from now.”
So why isn't Boozer firmly in the mix for the top pick? Simply put, it's because he's built like his father, two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer. That has left scouts and executives with questions about whether the 6-9, 250-pound Boozer has already come close to maxing out his game and whether his potential athletic limitations will limit his NBA ceiling. But for at least one NBA executive, Boozer's résumé should be enough to curb any trepidation around the league. "You can focus on what he doesn't have compared to the other guys in terms of athleticism or whatever," an East assistant general manager said. "But he's a winner and he's been a winner at every level and he's won everything he's touched this year."
Wilson averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks while shooting 57.8% from the field in 24 games, showcasing why many around the league argue he could go ahead of Boozer as the third player off the board. "He's so raw, and there's a ton of upside there," the first East executive said. "I can easily see him becoming a top-three player in this draft. I think Cam already has his NBA body, but Caleb has a lot of room to grow."
Tony Allen: They were saying they were saying you and Jerry Sloan got into it and you were part of the reason of him retiring. Can you speak to the viewers and straighten that on the out? Deron Williams: I think we were both super competitive people. I think first and foremost, so I wanted to win. And like I said, I talked earlier about the animosity that I held, right? I was a guy who didn't know how to deal with emotions. I didn't learn how to deal with emotions growing up, right? You know, went through a lot of sh*t with in my personal life growing up. And so carried a lot of anger with me. And so when the sh*t went down my rookie year, like I kind of always held that against him. Like it always it always bothered me. There was times where we weren't getting along, especially that last year when what happened was Carlos Boozer left, Al Jefferson came in, we had kind of a new team for the first time. Ronnie Brewer trade got traded, and he was my guy.