Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo has defended rookie Cameron Boozer after a late missed three-pointer cost the Grizzlies a chance to tie Denver, according to TalkBasket.
Boozer had a shot to force overtime with 6.9 seconds left in Wednesday's 123-118 loss to the Nuggets. The sequence started with a rebound, and Iisalo said the plan had been agreed beforehand with Ty Jerome: grab the board and go, rather than let Denver set up its half-court defense. In Iisalo's telling, that is exactly what Boozer did.
The coach also said Boozer was trying to earn free throws off the defender's contact. "I like the decision there to try to go for the three free throws, but obviously it didn't go our way," Iisalo said. "And I love the fact that Boo was in that situation, looked to push and try to create that open shot right there."
The harder question is timing. Asked whether Boozer had misjudged the shot clock, Iisalo disagreed. Denver had switched in that moment, and the coach pointed to hands on the body as the reason the rookie's drive lost its shape. Those are his explanations, and the play still ended without a make.
For a 19-year-old, the lesson is less about the shot than the choice. Iisalo is backing a player who wants the ball when the possession is most crowded, and the next test is whether that aggression holds up when the defence has time to react.
