Cam Boozer offers early glimpse of why Grizzlies are excited

Cam Boozer didn’t need long to look comfortable in an NBA uniform.

The Grizzlies rookie finished with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 18 minutes during Monday’s 132-123 preseason win over the Hawks, via the official NBA box score.

Nothing spectacular. Plenty encouraging. Boozer went 5-of-9 from the field and committed just one turnover.

More importantly, he didn’t spend his first NBA preseason game standing around waiting for someone to hand him the ball.

He rebounded. He passed. He got into the paint. He defended. That’s a pretty good place to start.

Boozer is only 19 and Memphis doesn’t need him to become a finished product in October. The Grizzlies have enough young players competing for minutes that coach Tuomas Iisalo can make him earn everything he gets.

But Boozer’s versatility is precisely what makes him intriguing.

At 6-foot-9, he can score inside, handle the ball and create opportunities for others. Four assists in 18 minutes from your rookie power forward will get a coach’s attention.

Again, this was one preseason game. Boozer will have bad nights. All rookies do. His first one just wasn’t among them.