The case for the Utah Jazz to draft Cameron Boozer is very compelling based on his talent alone. Making it even easier is his dad's ties to the team, as he is an esteemed alum who also works for the team. However, Carlos Boozer's recent comments about Cameron could make things a bit awkward between him and the Jazz if they decide to pass on his son.
In an exclusive interview with Andscape's Marc J. Spears, Carlos expressed his strong belief that any team who passes on his son for more reasons than his skills as a basketball player.
"If they miss the boat, they will regret it. This kid is a winner. Basically, the one thing about Cam that separates him from everybody else in the draft is that he’s a guy that the rest of the team will galvanize around because he doesn’t cheat the game. He shows up every single day, he studies the game, he puts his work into it every single day.
"He’s as dedicated as you’re ever going to find a player to his craft. And so, because of that, the team will always follow him because he’s the natural leader. And if you’re looking for that, then you’ll find that in him. And if you don’t draft him, then you’re going to regret that," Carlos told Spears.
He may be right about Cameron. He is an excellent prospect that it's not entirely ruled out that he could be picked first overall. However, with the prevailing sentiment that AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson will be No. 1 and No. 2, this could be a problem for Carlos, as if that happens, that means they passed on Cameron.
Now whether that would affect the Jazz's relationship with Carlos would remain to be seen but this is a rare opportunity to draft a player that already has ties to the Jazz and could really be a franchise-changer. Carlos is doing what a father would do and praise his son, but him putting this on the record inadvertently creates an elephant in the room between him and Utah.
It's not like Utah would pass on Cameron because they don't like him
The Jazz are in an excellent position tonight because they can basically take whoever they want tonight with little backlash. Sure, it's not like everyone would consensusly agree on the prospect they roll with, but the top three draft candidates are all can't-miss that the Jazz, well, can't miss.
So if they take Dybantsa or Peterson, that's not an indictment on Cameron in the slightest. It's more of a reflection of they think one of those two is the better player and/or fit than Cameron is.
Whoever takes Cameron Boozer should and will feel very fortunate to do so. It's not like what Carlos said about his offspring is wrong in any way. Here's to hoping that if Utah elects not to pick him that it won't cause any internal strife.
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