Cameron Boozer Has Chance to Become Best Player in Grizzlies History

The Memphis Grizzlies have rostered a lot of talented players in their history, but few true superstars. Rookie Cameron Boozer has a chance to be the best player to ever put on their jersey .

That might sound bold. A review of Grizzlies history vindicates the claim. It's not a particularly high bar to clear, but that doesn't mean it will be easy, either.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim Was the Original Grizzlies Star

Younger readers may not know that the Grizzlies once resided in Canada. For their first six seasons, they were the Vancouver Grizzlies.

Abdur-Rahim was an impressive, well-rounded forward. His best season came in 1998-99, when he averaged 23.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game.

For Abdur-Rahim, the numbers didn't seem to match the impact. It's possible that he was a victim of poor roster construction, but he never seemed to impact winning very much. His career-high 2.2 Box Plus/Minus (BPM) is more indicative of a role player than a star.

Realistically, he isn't the best player in the franchise's history.

Pau and Marc Gasol Set the Standard in Memphis

When the Grizzlies moved from Vancouver to Memphis, they replaced Abdur-Rahim with a similarly well-rounded big man. In 2005-06, Pau Gasol averaged 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. His ability to make plays for his teammates was exceptional for a 7-footer.

His career-high 5.5 BPM came in Memphis. He was a bona fide star. Unlike Abdur-Rahim, he was able to get the Grizzlies to the postseason, but after three straight first-round exits, he was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers .

Ironically, in that deal, they acquired the draft rights to Pau's younger brother. Marc Gasol was the 2012-13 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and he was always in the running for the award. He was also a playmaking hub. Gasol was the face of the Grit-and-Grind Grizzlies, and a lot of fans would call him the best player in franchise history.

Ja Morant Became the Grizzlies' Biggest Star

It's painful, recent history, but this article would be remiss not to mention Ja Morant.

On a surface level, he's put up the best stats in franchise history. Morant averaged 27.4 points per game in 2021-22. It was the highest points-per-game average in franchise history by a comfortable margin.

Unfortunately, if you're reading this, you know what went wrong. Morant was regularly injured and suspended, to the point that the team finally moved him . If you're offensively minded enough, you may rank him over Gasol.

But you're surely hoping Boozer can surpass him in franchise history.

Cameron Boozer Has a Chance to Pass Them All

Longevity is the factor that should put Boozer ahead of Morant. Playoff success and offensive production could put him over Gasol.

We're getting ahead of ourselves. Boozer hasn't played a regular-season game yet . There are many possible outcomes for his career.

But one of them is him being the best player in Grizzlies history.