NBA Draft 2026: Don’t make the Brunson second-gen mistake again. Draft Cameron Boozer No. 1

As the championship glow continues to encompass Jalen Brunson, it is price reminding ourselves a few sure prospect’s résumé.

Son of a longtime NBA participant. Grew up immersed in the NBA life-style. Won huge at each stage, together with highschool and at one among America’s prime school packages. Earned the Wooden award, Naismith award, AP Player of the Year award, Sporting News Player of the Year award. Left early to declare for the NBA Draft.

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Despite all these credentials, this participant was not thought-about the favourite to go No. 1 in the draft. Concerns about his underwhelming athleticism and stocky measurement held him again.

Oh, you thought I used to be speaking about Brunson?

I’m speaking about Cameron Boozer, the Duke prospect who needs to be drafted No. 1.

It’s true the Knicks‘ Finals MVP checks off all of the above bins, and famously fell all the solution to the second spherical of the 2018 draft earlier than being taken thirty third by the Dallas Mavericks. Boozer is not at risk of sliding out of the prime 5, a lot much less the first spherical, nevertheless it seems groups are making the identical mistake of overlooking Boozer’s influence.

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BYU standout AJ Dybantsa and Kansas star Darryn Peterson are considered far more likely to be drafted No. 1, whereas Boozer is an extended shot to listen to his title known as first on Tuesday — though Boozer is youthful, has gained extra, has posted stronger numbers and has NBA pedigree.

(*1*)

It’s that last item — being the son of an NBA participant — that needs to be seen as a superpower of genetics and data, however as an alternative could also be a unconscious dent in his NBA inventory.

An 18-year-old Boozer, who compiled a season during which he averaged extra factors than Peterson (a pure scorer), extra 3-pointers and assists than Dybantsa (a talented wing), and practically extra rebounds than these two gamers mixed, ought to go No. 1.

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Add in Boozer’s NBA pedigree, and the prime prospect debate should not be a debate in any respect.

Brunson one more second-gen success story

How did everybody overlook Brunson? It’s not simply the story of the NBA Finals; it is the story of his basketball profession.

Despite dominating the Chicago highschool circuit and having the title recognition of being the son of Rick Brunson, who performed 9 seasons in the NBA, Jalen was not listed amongst the prime 15 in any main recruiting ballot in his class. Still, he continued to dominate at the collegiate stage, profitable two championships at Villanova and sweeping the National Player of the Year awards by his junior 12 months.

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But Brunson was snubbed once more on draft night time. After being acknowledged as the unanimous prime participant in school, he watched Villanova teammate Mikal Bridges go No. 10. Then one other teammate, Donte DiVincenzo, go No. 17. Then one other, Omari Spellman, who averaged 10 factors per sport for Villanova, go No. 30. It wasn’t till the thirty third decide in the draft that Brunson heard his title known as.

The sample continued in the NBA, the place he backed up Luka Dončić in Dallas for the majority of his first 4 years. It wasn’t till he joined the Knicks in 2022 that Brunson’s profession lastly took off. Three All-NBA appearances later, Brunson averaged an NBA-high 28.4 factors per sport this postseason, whereas performing like Michael Jordan in the clutch en path to a title. Brunson does not have many doubters now.

The undeniable fact that Brunson dominated at each stage however nonetheless could not get the respect he deserved from the eyes of basketball cognoscenti proves his NBA pedigree did not outweigh his smaller stature. He was hampered with questions about his athleticism and defensive viability. On the Roommates Show podcast, former Mavericks proprietor Mark Cuban shared the scouting report on Brunson earlier than they picked him at No. 33.

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“A little chubby, not quite as fast, not super athletic, but he’s a winner,” Cuban stated.

That sounds so much like Boozer.

The identical questions on athleticism encompass Cam, limiting his perceived upside in comparison with his friends. Having an NBA participant as a father would appear like a feather in the cap for draft prospects, however it might backfire in refined methods. The phrase “potential” drives a lot of draft analysis, and prospects like Dybantsa and Peterson haven’t got NBA fathers who may artificially cap their ceiling at the subsequent stage. (No. 1 decide Andrew Wiggins, whose father Mitchell performed six years in the league, was an exception because of his leaping means. )

Rick Brunson was a journeyman. Boozer made “only” two All-Star groups. For Dybantsa and Peterson, it is a clean slate. We have a tendency to think about them as having extra upside maybe as a result of we do not subconsciously have equal photographs of Rick’s or Carlos’ careers in our heads after we peg Dybantsa’s and Peterson’s projections.

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For Cam Boozer, he is dealing with a distinct battle — a cognitive bias that he, like Jalen earlier than him, should overcome.

The sturdy observe file of second-generation gamers

Two years in the past, when Bronny James hoped to be chosen in the NBA Draft, I wrote a deep dive on the phenomenon of the NBA bloodline and identified that Bronny, being the son of LeBron James, had a very good shot of sticking round in the NBA. I stood by that even when he was chosen fifty fifth general, a spot in the draft when most gamers in that vary do not quantity to a lot of something in the huge present, if in any respect.

The Bronny choice generated accusations of basketball nepotism, however the historic knowledge means that the reverse could also be the case: The sons of NBA fathers are unfairly judged on draft day.

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My optimism in Bronny’s case was buoyed by the observe file of legacy NBA gamers like Brunson, and I nonetheless suppose he’ll carve out a strong NBA profession along with his improved taking pictures. In 2024, sons of NBA gamers had outperformed their draft slot by a whopping 30%, which was larger than any main school program, together with NBA expertise factories like Kentucky (+26%), UCLA (+24%) and Michigan State (+17%).

Since that story ran, the second-gen impact has continued to point out its lasting energy, although the general enchancment is now 26% above expectations. Brunson did not simply develop into an All-Star once more — he leveled up and have become a champion and Finals MVP, becoming a member of Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant as the third son of an NBA participant to win that award since 2010.

Curry, 38, continues to be averaging 26.6 factors per sport. The 40-year-old Al Horford (son of Tito) and 36-year-old Klay Thompson (son of Mychal) stay key rotation gamers at a time when most NBA gamers their age are shaving strokes off their golf sport.

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The youthful NBA “sons” are doing simply high quality. At 21 years previous, Reed Sheppard, son of Kentucky legend Jeff Sheppard, who had a quick stint in the league, was amongst the prime vote-getters for Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player of the Year. Second-round picks Nic Claxton (son of Charles), Trayce-Jackson Davis (Dale) and Jabari Walker (Samaki) proceed to punch above their weight.

Beyond that, the story of the NBA Finals was not simply Brunson’s ascension, but in addition the emergence of San Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper. Turning simply 20 years previous on March 2, Harper grew to become the Spurs’ go-to scorer at the guard place, averaging 18 factors, 6.4 rebounds and three assists per sport. He confirmed power and really feel properly past his years, scoring extra Finals factors than any age-20 participant since Magic Johnson in 1980, based on Stathead monitoring.

Maybe we should not have been too shocked by Harper’s marvelous play. After all, he’s the son of 15-year vet and five-time NBA champion Ron Harper.

Drafted second in the 2025 draft, Harper is making some experts wonder whether or not he could be picked first on this loaded draft. If historical past holds, we might be the identical dialog for Cam Boozer this time subsequent 12 months.

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Having an NBA father is a function, not a bug

Jalen Brunson. Kobe Bryant. Stephen Curry. Al Horford. Devin Booker. Kevin Love. Klay Thompson. Domantas Sabonis. Darius Garland. Jaren Jackson Jr. Wally Szczerbiak. Andrew Wiggins.

These are the 12 All-Stars who had been sons of NBA gamers and chosen in the NBA Draft since the trendy period that started in 1989. If that feels like so much, that is as a result of it’s.

Of the 2,155 gamers drafted since 1989, 9% of them went on to develop into All-Stars. But in case your dad performed in the NBA? That share practically doubles to 16.4%. Players who’ve NBA fathers being practically twice as more likely to develop into All-Stars is partly on account of the undeniable fact that a few of them had been drafted excessive and due to this fact considerably anticipated to succeed in all-league standing. Wiggins was No. 1 general and Horford was No. 3 general. Is making an All-Star crew that huge of an accomplishment?

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But then there’s Brunson at No. 33 who has made three All-Star squads. Bryant at No. 13 made 18 All-Star groups. Booker, drafted thirteenth general in 2015, missed this 12 months’s All-Star festivities, however has 5 to his title. Same with Thompson (eleventh general in 2011) and Sabonis (drafted eleventh in 2016). When we account for draft slot, we might solely count on 9 All-Star gamers out of the pool of 73 draftees of second-generation prospects. Boozer will try to be the thirteenth on the record.

Something’s happening right here. I’ve argued that second-generation gamers battle a fame that they have been handed a silver spoon and due to this fact haven’t got the identical drive as different prospects. But as we noticed with Brunson and Harper in the Finals, the reverse could be the case. When different gamers wilt below the shiny lights, Brunson and Harper appear unmoved by the stress.

In his postgame press convention, Brunson stated he did not really feel overwhelmed by the second and even pointed to his father’s expertise bouncing round the league for instance of true stress.

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“No pressure, no pressure whatsoever,” Brunson stated. “My dad being on eight or nine unguaranteed contracts throughout his career and not knowing when you’re going to get cut, when a team is going to move on from you, while your family is on the East Coast and you are wherever you are in the country. That’s pressure.

“Working out 3 times a day in the summertime and watching him push himself simply to get a coaching camp deal, that is stress. I’m very lucky to be in the place I’m and I positively suppose I labored fairly exhausting. So when the alternative introduced itself prefer it did (in Game 5), I simply trusted my work. … I’m simply by no means afraid to fail.”

During the Finals, Harper stated he picked his father’s mind about acting on the largest stage as a rookie. Ron Harper’s message?

“Be you,” Dylan Harper said his father told him. “You haven’t got to change who you might be.”

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As a matter of identification, Harper and Brunson are members of an unique membership of the NBA bloodline, one thing that ought to give Boozer a transparent edge on draft night time.

But as my colleague Kevin O’Connor factors out in his Draft Guide, Boozer faces questions which may maintain him from going No. 1: “The fear is that he is not a vertical athlete and the basis of all that manufacturing — overpowering smaller defenders — will get diminished in opposition to NBA size.”

Again, the considerations sound eerily just like Brunson, who blasted by way of each slight he heard main as much as the draft and all through his profession (Becky Hammon was removed from the just one who questioned how his measurement would fare at the highest stage). O’Connor has stored Boozer at No. 1 on his huge board, however has predicted in his latest mock draft that Boozer will go decrease on Tuesday.

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To me, Boozer is the energy ahead model of Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić — basketball savants who do not want sky-high verticals to dominate the sport. Washington and Utah should not suppose twice about drafting him.

If Boozer falls to Memphis at No. 3, there is a good likelihood it could be a mistake, not in contrast to when second-gen Curry fell to No. 7 on account of related measurement considerations. A crew like the Oklahoma City Thunder, who’re armed with the twelfth and seventeenth decide, could be sensible to attempt to transfer up and goal Boozer, who brings the playmaking and energy that they lacked in the San Antonio collection. Chicago, which holds the No. 4 decide, also needs to try to leap up and produce Boozer, whose father starred for the Bulls for 4 seasons, to the Windy City.

With Brunson sitting atop the basketball world, one would suppose we’ve got realized our lesson of respecting the second-gen star. But time and time once more, legacy prospects like Brunson and Boozer will not be taken as severely as their credentials counsel. Is having an NBA father thought-about a function or a bug on the résumé? If Boozer falls to No. 3, we’ve got our reply.