This is right. Had a buddy who did some data work for the Mavs back in the day. He says teams haven't used traditional "1-5" terminology for awhile. It's ball-handler/big/wing.
Mock draft 2026
- Thread starter iowamcnabb
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This is right. Had a buddy who did some data work for the Mavs back in the day. He says teams haven't used traditional "1-5" terminology for awhile. It's ball-handler/big/wing.
Aside from the concerns about Peterson's availability, I really only watched the last game vs. Arizona and while he put up a huge stat line that game was never even close. It was a revenge game for Arizona of sorts since a short manned Wildcats team dropped their first of the season to Kansas. Everyone was raving about him after that game and it was a head scratcher to me to be celebrating his performance after his team lost by 23 and were functionally never in the game.
yes, I realize that is not a good sample size to judge him on.
That's very similar to the first impression I had of him early in the season. For a guy with all of the statistical dominance, the first overall pick hype, and according to some generational player talent it's disappointing that his individual talent has not translated to a lot of team success. In his last game Kansas lost by 10 points to a 15-14 Arizona State team. And Kansas did win that earlier matchup with #1 ranked Arizona when Peterson did not play.
With a nod to @Caccia for inspiring the idea, maybe we can get "The Dread Baron" to stick as a nickname for Labaron Philon Jr.
Joshyjosh31
Starter
He’s barely getting off the floor compared to his HS tape
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
And he’s still putting up monster performances on ridiculous shooting efficiency (75% true shooting percentage tonight)
Even if his legs never come back, he’s still one of the best scoring prospects to come out of the draft since KD.
est.1999
Starter
He reminds me of Hali. And I the only one who sees it?
Insomniacal Fan
Starter
If you're a player that doesn't fit into one of the pre-defined roles, your only chance is to be so incredibly effective that your particular talents break open the possibility space. See Dirk, Curry, Joker, (Giannis to some extent). All players that ended up drafted outside of the top 5.
But fundamental shifts in the competitive paradigm are a lot rarer than superstars. It's a safer bet to fit someone into a role than it is to try and create a new role.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
"The guy I think of when I think about Cam Boozer is Blake Griffin." ......"If I were going to predict what to expect out of Cam Boozer in the NBA, I'd start at Blake Griffin and go from there." - @hrdboild
Hrdboild would start with Griffin because he's undersized, productive (presumably on the offensive side) and because like with Boozer people couldn't get too excited about him prior to the draft. So, QWERTYLICIOUS, hrdboild, Testujin, and Warhawk, what exactly is the point then? That a offensively productive player who is undersized and can't play D worth a damn is worth a top five pick in this draft? Is that the point?
If Boozer were in fact Doncic-like in his offensive game, sure, I could see taking him because the offensive benefits would far outweigh the defensive side of the ball. Is Boozer going to be the point of the spear on offense like Doncic? I doubt it. Is he going to take it upon himself to make big shots at the end of the game with his ball handling and pressure shooting like Doncic? Again, I doubt it. What you're left with is a complementary player, maybe a very good player on offense, but not Doncic-like, who is woefully lacking on defense.
Last but not least, we King's fans more than everyone else in the NBA, should know that the league has been trending for quite a while to weigh TWO-WAY players a heckuvalot more than one-way players. (Perry has said as much). And for good reason. Those long wings who can defend at the 3-point line are very valuable. And, they give give a lot of flexibility on the defensive end because the defense doesn't have to switch. Boozer isn't that guy because he doesn't have the lateral quickness needed on the perimeter. So Boozer's game is even more untranslatable to the NBA on defense because teams need long athletic forwards who can guard at the perimeter.
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
There are concerns with every top player in this draft but don't underrate potential. Boozer has a left and right hand and can drive right or left. If a player is that strong it doesn't matter how quick they are because they're getting contact which puts defenders in a bad spot and even if a player is *** on defense they can be a focal point of a teams offense. He's somewhere in between Domas and Jokic in college on both ends. Will he be a Sengun? I think he'll be better defensively. He's got better lateral mobility.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
Domas, Jokic and Sengun are all centers. Do you see Boozer as a center? Is that who he is going to be guarding on defense?
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
I think the better question is whether some of those guys should be playing center in the first place. Remember all the knocks on Domas? I think Boozer can play center but with his offensive bag shouldn't have the same issues Domas has playing PF. Not that Boozer is on his level but there is a little Cuz in Boozer as well. He's obviously not as flashy or creative but on that scale of bigs like that he's somewhere in the middle of it all. Not a bad haul if a team is as landlocked as the Kings are talent wise.
Not sure why you're dragging me into this. I think this is my first time posting in this thread, and I only pop in once every couple weeks, at best, when I'm bored.
I certainly am not participating in it. I'm lucky I even saw this! I don't think I even read any of the first 25 pages until today.Boozer is not my favorite for #1. But I wouldn’t pass on him at number 3. And I love Caleb Wilson.
It’s not just the productivity at his age (seriously - 18 year olds don’t do this). Boozer may be more like Doncic than people are giving him credit for. He can definitely initiate an offense. And he’ll be able to get to his spots on the court.
I get the defensive concerns - but if he’s on the board at #3 - I’m grabbing him instead of Wilson because I think Boozer projects into a 20/10/5 player in his prime on great efficiency. And i think it’s possible for him to become a 25 point and 7 assist player.
Skill, strength, high basketball IQ, smooth shot and dominating the competition at a young age. Those players rarely bust.
It’s not just the productivity at his age (seriously - 18 year olds don’t do this). Boozer may be more like Doncic than people are giving him credit for. He can definitely initiate an offense. And he’ll be able to get to his spots on the court.
I get the defensive concerns - but if he’s on the board at #3 - I’m grabbing him instead of Wilson because I think Boozer projects into a 20/10/5 player in his prime on great efficiency. And i think it’s possible for him to become a 25 point and 7 assist player.
Skill, strength, high basketball IQ, smooth shot and dominating the competition at a young age. Those players rarely bust.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
Boozer at center is small and indefensible. This is not the kind of team that I envision going forward.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
I'm dragging you into it because you "liked" the above post. Was that a mis-click?Not sure why you're dragging me into this. I think this is my first time posting in this thread, and I only pop in once every couple weeks, at best, when I'm bored.
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
That's why maybe you can create a more easily workable scenario like Domas in Indy. You can probably put a traditional defensive big next to Boozer unlike Domas who had to have a 3 point shooting C like Turner to even marginally make it work.
Minor quibble here - but some guys may just be unlucky stacked behind some of these other players or teams. Webber never made it to the finals due to Kobe and Shaq (and the refs), for instance. But I think he would belong. Just one example.
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Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
Also feel like people are going considerable overboard with the Boozer athleticism concerns on this thread at this point. He’s not Caleb Wilson athletic by any means but he’d probably beat Luka Doncic in a foot race
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Sorry, I went back about 4-5 levels of posts that were linked and didn't see one I had liked. Maybe I mis-clicked and removed it soon after? Maybe I just missed the post you are referencing and I did like it?
No worries, I just thought it was funny. One of the few threads here I actively ignore most of the time and when I did pop in I randomly saw my name.
Edit: I went checked the linked posts again back to the post with this:
"The guy I think of when I think about Cam Boozer is Blake Griffin." ......"If I were going to predict what to expect out of Cam Boozer in the NBA, I'd start at Blake Griffin and go from there." - @hrdboild
And I didn't "like" that post.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
This is what we do. We get these no-defense players and then hope that we can get a Mutumbo down the line to offset his defensive weaknesses. It never works. We need to stop acquiring one-way players that create the problem to begin with. The more the Kings get these one-way offensive players, the more the Kings get desperate for the awesome shot blocker to cover up their weaknesses and the more other teams jack up the price on the awesome defensive center to cover up all of our weaknesses. Please stop the madness.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
At this point in time I'm a soft no on Peterson. His talent is alluring. His attitude, maturity, competitiveness and non-availability are question marks that scare the hell out of me. To me he's got to show up bigtime in the NCAAs to get my vote. That means that I have to see an impact player from start to finish of the games; he can't "show up" in one game and not the other , nor just "show up" in the last few minutes of a game. Really, the only players I'm totally sold on are AJ and Caleb Wilson. Am I setting myself up for disappointment when the Kings don't get either one? . Probably.
QWERTYLICIOUS
Starter
Based on this, can I safely assume that you would like to see the team pivot over to a more defensive-oriented approach when it comes to building out the roster?This is what we do. We get these no-defense players and then hope that we can get a Mutumbo down the line to offset his defensive weaknesses. It never works. We need to stop acquiring one-way players that create the problem to begin with. The more the Kings get these one-way offensive players, the more the Kings get desperate for the awesome shot blocker to cover up their weaknesses and the more other teams jack up the price on the awesome defensive center to cover up all of our weaknesses. Please stop the madness.
Kingster
Hall of Famer
Yes. And isn't that what Perry has alluded to? An emphasis on two-way players, defense, and toughness.
QWERTYLICIOUS
Starter
Yes, he has. I was just making sure that you and I are aligned on our desire to see this team become more defensively-oriented. I've used past examples such as the Detroit Pistons (early 2000s era Pistons, and not necessarily the "Bad Boys" era - I was a bit too young to remember those teams) and San Antonio Spurs as franchises that I would like to see the Kings draw inspiration from on the defensive side of the basketball.
