Cam Boozer's NBA debut had its ups and downs.
There was the bad — 2-for-15 shooting, including 0 of 6 on 3-pointers — but he also finished with a game-high plus-32. And the Memphis Grizzlies won Oct. 21 at FedExForum, cruising past the Utah Jazz 123-103 thanks to 45 points from Ty Jerome.
"Typical Cam Boozer night," Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said. "Shot 2-for-15 and plus-32. I know it's like the plus- minus for one game and without adjusting it in any way is very much a non-stat, but I thought he did a great job with the rebounding . . . His defense on (Jazz forward Lauri) Markkanen, these are the things that I talk about with him that it's easy to forget the kid is 19. The kid is 19 and he's making big-time plays offensively and defensively
that takes other guys 10 years in the league to figure those out."
Boozer was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, one spot after Utah's top pick, Darryn Peterson. Neither had a particularly good statistical game in his respective debut, but Boozer's team is 1-0.
"There were definitely some nerves, but a lot of it's just excitement," Boozer said. "Obviously my first game, excited to get out there and compete. We worked really hard to get to this moment as a team. But it was a lot of fun. Obviously the crowd, they showed up tonight, shoutout to them. It was a lot of fun for sure."
The Grizzlies drafted Boozer to be a centerpiece of their rebuild, and they chose him because of his versatility and his well-rounded skill set. That was on display, as he grabbed 11 rebounds and had five assists. He also guarded multiple players, including Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. With Isaiah Stewart out injured, Boozer also got some minutes playing as a small-ball center.
It was the first time Grizzlies fans got to see Boozer play alongside Zach Edey in a real game. Edey missed most of the 2025-26 season with injuries, but he and Boozer project as the Grizzlies' frontcourt of the future.
"It's a lot of fun," Edey said. "He's always making the right reads, crashing the glass with me. We benefit from each other in a lot of ways."
Memphis didn't need Boozer to be a scoring threat against the Jazz, but there will be plenty of opportunities for him to expand his game moving forward. Next up is a four-game road trip that starts at Golden State on Oct. 23 (9 p.m. CT, DAZN).
But his NBA debut is now in the rearview mirror.
"It was an amazing experience," Boozer said. "I'm going to remember this forever."
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why NBA debut was 'typical Cam Boozer night' for Grizzlies' rookie
