<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">1. Yao Ming, Rockets (No. 1 pick, 2002 Draft) Key Stats: 65 GP, 17.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.78 bpg, .536 FG%, 32.6 mpg Breakdown: Yao has Rockets on brink of team's first playoff berth since 1999, and the second-year center has emerged as one of the game's best big men. Also relishes playing in big games, as proven by his averages of 26.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and .554 field-goal percentage in three games against Shaq and the Lakers this season. 2. Amare Stoudemire, Suns (No. 9, 2002) Key Stats: 39 GP, 19.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.03 spg, 1.67 bpg, .494 FG%, 35.3 mpg Breakdown: One of the game's top power forwards could easily have been pushed into the top spot had he not missed 27 games this season. Although Stoudemire has played well this season, Phoenix is in last place in the West. The Suns are 14-25 with Stoudemire in the lineup; 7-20 without. 3. Carlos Boozer, Cavaliers (No. 35, 2002) Key Stats: 59 GP, 15.1 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 1.03 spg, .518 FG%, 34.7 mpg Breakdown: Cavaliers are in position for their first playoff appearance since 1998, thanks in no small part to Boozer. Currently ranks fifth in the NBA in rebounding and sixth in field-goal percentage</div> Link
Doesn't look like LeBron will ever be toppled off the Rookie one on that same link. Glad to see Wade still up there with Bosh among the top. It's really great to see Boozer rated so high, he'd be much higher if his defense were as good as his rebounding ability. Good to see Ginobili still being seen as the awesome player that he is, Parker's a sophomore too isn't he?
Carlos Boozer has proved the league wrong, they thought he where a second rounder with no chance, he proved em wrong! Now he's ranked 3rd among sophmores in the league together behind the first pick and the rookie of the year? He got to be the biggest draft surprise so far in NBA.
Boozer's development has been a very underrated reason why the Cavs are making a strong run into the playoffs. Everybody pats Lebron on the back but Boozer needs some love to. I think he got some thou in the Rook Soph game. Lots of media coverage for him so that was good.
never forget that the boozer that was in the draft and then drafted in the 2nd round is not the same athlete that showed up at cavs camp. he converted about 70 pounds of flab into 40 pounds of muscle. instead of being 6'9" 260 and mushy (not good for an nba 4) he showed up 240 and chiseled. this also made him quicker and a better leaper. i agree that he was a steal, but the cavs aren't that much smarter than the other teams. boozer was a quality but undersized junk man center in college. those guys don't usually make great power forwards in the nba. but boozer is.
Boozer has established himself as not just one of the best sophs, but one of the best power forwards in the league period. He got the knock that he was too small coming out of college, when a fellow alumni with similar knocks overcame just a few years before. Both Boozer and Brand have proven to critics that they were much better than earlier thought. The big surprise is that, despite Brand's great success, Boozer was still slept on. I had Boozer as a lottery pick, and was hugely surprised that he wasn't even taken in the first round. For all those teams that didn't know, now you know.
Boozer is definitely a future star but many people are worried about his offense and so am i.If he gets his offense better hell be amazing.right now hes an amazing rebounder.If he can improve his blocks he could be dominant.But he just needs to get a little bit of a better jumpshot and a little better posting up game and he will be a star!
Someone who needs credit for the Cavs sucess is Boozer, but more so the Z man. Everyone thinks it's 'Bron doing all the work, when Booze and Z are doing most of it. Seriously, if the Cavs didn't have 1 of them, it would be worse than losing Bron...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting DajuanWagner#2:</div><div class="quote_post">Carlos Boozer has proved the league wrong, they thought he where a second rounder with no chance, he proved em wrong! Now he's ranked 3rd among sophmores in the league together behind the first pick and the rookie of the year? He got to be the biggest draft surprise so far in NBA.</div> I wouldn't say that just yet. Remember Bill Laimbeer? He was a four-time all-star and helped the Pistons win back-to-back championships. He is also credited for inventing the defensive "flop". All this and the man was a third round pick (65th overall). Boozer has been a huge surprise though. He was definately a huge steal for Cleveland in the 2002 draft.
A few Sophmores who fall under the radar are Mehmet Okur, Drew Gooden, and Dajuan Wager. Lack of playing time doesn't really allow them to reach their full potential, but given quality minutes they are certainly capable of shining. You saw it with Ronald Murray in Seattle, he saw no playing time during his rookie season but when he was granted those minutes he showed he was a star in the making.
Kareem Rush has been playing very well of late also...His stats don't warrant any top 10 recognition, but he's at least worth mentioning...
