Cameron Boozer Lands in Perfect Spot in Latest Mock Draft

We’re now a handful of games into the college basketball season, and NBA Draft prospects have now had plenty of time to get their bearings.

That’s been especially true for Duke's Cameron Boozer, who’s upgraded from great to unbelievable on the production front for the Blue Devils. The five-star forward was predicted to be one of the best players in the country this season, but few could’ve guessed his 22.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game start to the year. He has the fourth-ranked Blue Devils at 8-0 currently, despite dealing with plenty of double-teams throughout a tough slate.

Boozer was already grouped in with the top tier of draft prospects, though his early-season production has him nearly cemented already. In NBA Draft on SI’s latest mock draft, which was dropped on Monday, Boozer landed in the perfect NBA situation.

Darryn Peterson was taken off the board at No. 1 by Washington, clearing a pathway for the Pacers to grab Boozer second overall.

Few teams in the league have seen more whiplash this season than Indiana, who went from an ascendant Finals appearance to one of the worst teams in the league overnight. They fell in seven games to the OKC Thunder mere months ago, and have now managed just four wins in 21 tries.

Star guard Tyrese Haliburton is sidelined for the entire season due to an Achilles injury suffered in Game 7, Indiana lost center Myles Turner in free agency last offseason, and has dealt with a myriad of other injuries in turn. That combination has led to a gap year of sorts for the Pacers, who will be instead looking to nab a top draft prospect, opposed to a postseason berth.

Boozer would be a seamless fit on nearly every team due to his high feel and general winning impact, but landing with Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and the Pacers would offer a crystal clear pathway toward star production.

The Pacers are a high-octane offense in dire need of frontcourt help. Boozer not only helps from an interior scoring perspective, but his open floor passing would gel perfectly with Indiana's run-and-gun wings and forwards.

Indiana has made a habit of drafting quick-processing players of late, and Boozer would fit right into that

Per an earlier scouting report from NBA Draft on SI regarding Boozer: "What makes him unique for a player his size is the way he processes the game and the fluidity with which he plays. The dynamic prospect isn’t the exact same player as Duke’s last two number one overall picks, Paolo Banchero and Cooper Flagg, but there are elements of both in his game."

Indiana has long coveted a high-floor defensive big such as Boozer, with room to grow on that end as well. And with Turner now rostered on an Eastern Conference foe, the Blue Devil could immediately add much-needed star-power.

For now, NBA teams will keep close tabs on Boozer's outings as conference play nears.