Boozer exceeds previous expectations in the pros

"And with the third pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors select Mike Dunleavy," stated a smiling NBA commissioner David Stern. The draft had just begun, but it was already a good day for the Blue Devils. Two former Duke players had been selected, and a third, Carlos Boozer, was expected to be taken soon.

  Then Stern finished calling out the final lottery pick. Then the commissioner declared the 15th pick, and Boozer's name still had not been called. After three more picks it seemed the Utah Jazz would definitely select the third leg of the vaunted Duke class that would have graduated in 2003. The Jazz's superstar power forward Karl Malone was aging, and Boozer seemed to be the perfect player to ease some of the veteran's minutes. But once again, the Alaska native was not picked. Boozer dropped all the way out of the first round until he was selected by the woeful Cavaliers with the 35th selection.

  But Boozer has turned the disappointment of draft day into a surprisingly successful NBA career, as he is averaging 14.8 points and 11.4 rebounds in his second year with the youthful Cleveland Cavaliers. C-Booze is fifth in the NBA in rebounding, and one of only eight players in the league to be averaging double figures in both points and rebounding. The 6-foot-9 power forward believes much of the explanation of his low draft selection was circumstantial.

  "A reason why I went 35th was because I was a little bit short [for a NBA power forward]," Boozer said in an interview with the Chronicle. "The 2002 draft also saw the biggest influence of Euro-players, that had a little bit to do with it. But everything has worked out so far."

  Boozer attributes much of the success he has had with James on the experience he gained playing in college with Jay Williams, the 2002 consensus national player of the year.

  "It's very similar," Boozer said about playing with Williams and James. "Jay Williams was our go-to guy at Duke. Lebron is the same thing. They're both playmakers, they make great plays for their teammates. Jay would give me easy dunks with drives. He could get by his man any time he wanted to. Lebron has the same ability.           

  Playing with Jay got me prepared for Lebron."

  Many analysts consider Boozer's career in the NBA the opposite of the trend for most Duke players playing professional basketball. The Blue Devils have had many high draft picks that had solid careers, but did not, often because of injury, become superstars. Boozer feels that this is an unfair criticism of Duke players in the NBA.

  "The truth about that point is that there aren't that many Shaqs and Tracy McGradys," he said. "There's not that many those types of players period. [Duke players] end up getting on the short end of the stick because so many of our games are on TV. NBA scouts see us more. Most of us get drafted high, and people expect players to turn teams around immediately."

  Despite all of his successes in the NBA, Boozer is still the same level-headed kid from Alaska that helped the Blue Devils capture the 2001 NCAA title.

  "He's just a regular guy," Cavaliers veteran broadcaster Joe Tait said to the Akron-Beacon Journal. "He doesn't expect people to bow down to him. He doesn't have an attitude."