Duke fans are understandably gleeful about the seemingly sudden rise of Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje. The kid was a sensation in Istanbul in the FIBA U17 World Cup.
But he was simply better than anyone else there, and no one really knows what that means. Were the other players around the world mediocre this time? It happens. Talent is cyclical.
We’ll get a better idea soon when he starts to compete with his Duke teammates. Pat Ngongba is an established, experienced big man. Drew Scharnowski is almost certainly
more physical. Maxime Meyer is getting better fast.
And then there’s Cameron Williams.
At 6-11 or 7-0, Williams is, at this point, more fluid than Boumtje Boumtje. Like his new classmate, he can shoot outside, but he’s not as thick as Boumtje Boumtje.
These highlights are against high school kids and it’s immediately clear that some of them are not destined for athletic greatness.
However, you get the general outline of Williams’ game. He’s long, he’s agile, and he’s nowhere near as good as he will be soon.
Both Williams and Boumtje Boumtje are immensely promising young big men, but their games are not the same. Watching how Scheyer uses them, and how they drive each other to improve, is going to be a lot of fun.
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