Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson debut with a standout performance in the NBA Summer League
The 2nd and the 3rd picks in the last Draft showed their enormous potential right away with the Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz
The first day of the Salt Lake City Summer League featured two standout players. Cameron Boozer, selected with the 3rd pick in the last Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, and Darryn Peterson, taken 2nd by the Utah Jazz, both had highly promising debuts and led their respective teams to victory.
Boozer shone in the Grizzlies' convincing 111-74 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, while Peterson was the standout player for the Jazz in a tight 103-102 overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Cameron Boozer makes an impact from the first play
The debut of Cameron Boozer couldn't have started any better. In the first possession of the game, he received the ball after a pick-and-roll, assisted to Taylor Hendricks, who immediately passed it back to him, and finished with a spectacular two-handed dunk over the 7'3" Spanish center Aday Mara.
The power forward ended the game with 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists in just 24 minutes, shooting an impressive 7 of 11 from the field.
"I felt comfortable. It's still an adaptation process because you arrive at a new team with a different system, and we only had one week of practice before playing. But I felt good, especially with this group. Everyone plays for each other and does things the right way. I still have a lot to learn, but the feelings are very positive," Boozer explained after the game.
One of the aspects that caught the attention of the scouts at the Huntsman Center of the University of Utah was his ability to create plays from the power forward position. Among the attendees was his father, the former All-Star Carlos Boozer, who watched the game from the front row wearing a Grizzlies cap.
"Since I got drafted, he's already on the Memphis team," Cameron joked.
Darryn Peterson responds with a scoring exhibition
If Boozer left his mark with a spectacular dunk, Peterson also scored on his first possession as a professional. The guard attacked the matchup with Asa Newell and outperformed the second-year interior player with a brilliant layup.
The Jazz player was the star of the game, scoring 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field in the 27 minutes he played. His performance even prompted the home fans to chant "MVP" when he went to the free-throw line after completing a three-point play in the second quarter.
"I've worked extremely hard, and I've been imagining this moment since my time at Kansas ended. Returning to play and doing it wearing the Jazz jersey is a huge honor and privilege," Peterson stated.
It wasn't all perfect for the shooting guard, who played as a point guard for many minutes and acknowledged that he needs to improve after turning the ball over eight times.
Will Hardy praises his demeanor
Utah coach Will Hardy positively assessed the debut of his young star despite those errors.
"Today was a tough game due to all the hype surrounding him. I think he did a great job playing within the team. He was aggressive and picked his moments well. He has a lot of room for improvement in several aspects, but I'm sure he's also relieved to have gotten this first game out of the way," the coach explained.
One of the most anticipated matchups of the Summer League is set for next Monday when Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson face off after debuts that have confirmed the high expectations placed on the two top talents of the Draft generation.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Cameron Boozer y Darryn Peterson debutan saliéndose en la Summer League de la NBA
