Veteran forward Carlos Boozer turned in a solid 2014-15 season for the Los Angeles Lakers, but the unrestricted free agent is still looking for a place to play in 2015-16.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported that Boozer “is intrigued by interest he's getting from China but still angling for new NBA home.” Stein added that the Sichuan Blue Whales are “foremost among Chinese teams to register interest in Boozer.”
Metta World Peace played for the Blue Whales last season.
Boozer averaged 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game last season for the Lakers and is a two-time All-Star. He also scored in double figures in each of his 13 years in the NBA and boasts 9.5 career boards a night as well.
The problem with Boozer is his age. He will turn 34 years old in November and is well past his prime. His explosiveness on the blocks and ability to leap and control the boards are all in the rearview mirror, and any interested teams know they won’t get the same power forward who registered most of those career totals.
Boozer’s lack of lateral quickness at this stage of his career is also a concern on defense, especially against athletic power forwards who can attack the basket off the dribble and from a triple-threat position.
Even with those issues, Sean Highkin of Pro Basketball Talk was surprised at the general lack of interest for the former Duke Blue Devil:
Boozer theoretically still has plenty to offer. He has 83 career playoff games on his resume and would provide a veteran presence in the locker room who understands the pressure of playing in the postseason.
He also made a living in the second half of his career with a solid pick-and-pop mid-range jumper, knocking down 41.4 percent of his looks from 16 feet to the three-point line. That alone spreads the floor and opens up offensive rebounding opportunities for his teammates by pulling the opposing power forward away from the rim.
Boozer still shot 50 percent from the field last season in Los Angeles and could consistently connect from 15 to 20 feet for a new team next year.
That new team just may be in China if interest around the NBA doesn’t pick up the rest of the offseason.
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