Cameron Boozer was the No. 3 pick but ended up as the top-ranked rookie in our preseason NBA99, ranking the 99 best players in the NBA as the 2026-27 season begins. Check out the rest of the list here.

Evaluating rookies before they've played a single game is a tough task. However, we took a stab at it during our top 99 rankings. Ultimately, Memphis Grizzlies forward Cam Boozer came out on top, ranking 65th, followed by Utah Jazz guard Darryn Peterson (85th), Washington Wizards wing AJ Dybantsa (95th), and Chicago Bulls forward Caleb Wilson (97th).

For a draft class that didn't have a clear top prospect, and the top four picks were so closely debated, ranking the third overall pick first, especially by such a large margin, could certainly be seen as bold. In my eyes, Boozer's placement comes down to two primary factors: NBA readiness and overall impact.

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Cam Boozer's all-around impact is immense

By far and away, Boozer is the most NBA-ready rookie. His only flaw is "athleticism," which doesn't hold up under scrutiny. Sure, he isn't an elite vertical athlete, but he's strong as heck, and in a league trending toward high-feel, his lack of traditional athleticism won't matter a ton.

Boozer was the best player in college hoops last season. The Duke forward won National Player of the Year, posting averages of 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. Whether it's punishing mismatches in the paint, spacing the floor, creating shots for himself, being a playmaking hub, or rebounding, Boozer impacts the game in every single way you could ask for. He's simply so polished and impactful.

Admittedly, unlike the other top rookies, there's no clean NBA comparison for Boozer. That isn't a knock, though. In fact, many all-time greats entered the league without a clear blueprint. Who was the Kevin Durant before Durant or the Stephen Curry before Curry? (Shout-out to Jason of the Hardwood Collective for making a similar point during the pre-draft process.)

And with the Grizzlies, Boozer will also walk in as the number-one option. Ty Jerome, Cedric Coward, and Jerami Grant are the next best options.

How Boozer stacks up with his peers

The rest of the top four has more glaring flaws.

Peterson averaged a neutral assist-to-turnover ratio at Kansas. Despite Boozer being a forward and Peterson being a guard, the former is a more impactful and versatile playmaker. While he battled injuries in college, he didn't have the same burst and separation that he had in high school. As such, it's fair to question how effective he'll be on the ball, particularly in his rookie season.

The Jazz also have a fair amount of established talent with Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Keyonte George.

Dybantsa's shot selection and inefficient 3-point shooting are notable concerns. Notably, Dybantsa shot just 33.1 percent from deep range in college. He has all the gifts to be a dynamic jumbo-sized wing, and he generates a ton of rim pressure, but his affinity for difficult shots could limit his ceiling. Dybantsa will need to up his defensive engagement to unlock his two-way upside.

From a short-term perspective, the Wizards are loaded with talent, including Trae Young, Anthony Davis, and Alex Sarr. Thus, even if Dybantsa's flaws don't prove to be damning, he'll have a hard time being as productive as Boozer as a rookie.

Wilson is a good creator and playmaker for his size. Regardless, he isn't at Boozer's level. And while he showed improved shooting at summer league, Wilson netted just seven of his 27 3-pointers at North Carolina. This shooting flaw can limit Wilson's overall effectiveness as an offensive player unless he proves to be an elite finisher from day one.

Simply put, he's not as effective or polished as Boozer on offense. Now, Wilson is a superior athlete and defender, but this doesn't make up for the gap between the two players on offense. The Bulls also have slightly more established talent with Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, and Matas Buzelis.

By all accounts, Boozer is the most polished rookie, and he has the most opportunity.

Boozer's impact was flat-out historic in college

It's not a coincidence that the catch-all metric suggested that Boozer was the most impactful player in college hoops last season. Per Draftballr, Boozer ranked in the 100th percentile for both offensive box plus-minus and overall BPM. More impressively, Boozer posted the second-best BPM since 2007, per Barkovic.

In fairness, the rest of the big four posted strong marks. Nevertheless, these advanced stats tell the story of a historically impactful college player. Boozer's versatile offensive skill set is the driving force behind this statistical excellence, and it helps him impact winning at a high level. Something few rookies can offer.

Between this and the situation he's in, a fantastic rookie campaign feels inevitable. And while our list was about the immediate future, this unique skill set also gives Boozer a lofty ceiling.

Maybe you'd argue one of the other three prospects has more ceiling. That's fine, but if you are still questioning Boozer's spot on our list for this season, I have to ask: Why?