NBA teams seek shooting and offensive intelligence. They want to find willing and versatile defenders. They are always searching for a mentality and a drive that separates prospects from suspects.
It’s good if they can find one quality, great if they can find two. Three is the kind of discovery that keeps general managers and team presidents employed.
Find them all? They鈥檝e found Cooper Flagg.
Those attributes have made the most NBA-ready prospect in this year’s class, because of the scope of his talent. It鈥檚 why the 18-year-old Flagg is a deadbolt lock to be drafted No. 1 on June 25.
Conversations with Raptors officials, scouts and deep thinkers around the league reveals little clarity after Duke rookie is taken first overall.
Conversations with Raptors officials, scouts and deep thinkers around the league reveals little clarity after Duke rookie is taken first overall.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if there鈥檚 a flaw in his game,鈥 an NBA scout told the Star, granted anonymity because the underclassman Flagg has not officially declared for the draft. 鈥淒oesn鈥檛 matter what position you call him, he has bits of all of them.鈥
A scrimmage with a select team against the Paris-bound American Olympians a summer ago 鈥斕淗e kicked butt here,鈥 said Jamahl Mosley, coach of the selects and Orlando Magic 鈥 cemented the feeling that he鈥檚 ready to fit into the NBA immediately.
鈥淗e has a great feel for the game, and he has all the measurables and the intangibles to be a great player,鈥 former Raptors rookie of the year and current Georgia Tech head coach Damon Stoudamire told ESPN as the U.S. college season wound down. 鈥淏ut I was extremely impressed with the things he did 听鈥 he looked exactly how the best NBA players looked, to be honest with you.鈥
Flagg has continued to impress while leading Duke to the Final Four and a date with Houston in Saturday night鈥檚 NCAA semifinals in San Antonio, Texas. Showing the kind of versatility that opened eyes in that scrimmage last summer,听he had 30 points, six rebounds, seven assists, three blocked shots and a steal in a round-of-16 win over Arizona that might have been his best game of the college season.
Duke’s NIL is name, image and likability heading into Friday’s NCAA men’s Final Four.
Duke’s NIL is name, image and likability heading into Friday’s NCAA men’s Final Four.
An NBA Eastern Conference executive raved about the performance, saying he answered any lingering questions about his shooting (he made threes when the Blue Devils needed them), defence (the blocks showed his versatility) and ability to make the big play (he made every one of them).
The worst teams in the NBA have been jockeying for much of the season to give themselves the best odds at winning the May 12 lottery because Flagg should immediately and tangibly improve a team鈥檚 chances. The winner won’t be trying to fit him into their schemes; they will be changing what they do to best maximize his talents.
The Raptors are a perfect example. It鈥檚 widely expected they鈥檒l begin next season with a veteran starting five of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl. But those plans would likely be scuttled if they land Flagg.
They would unquestionably take him and then set out to make moves to create a place for him.听
It鈥檚 hard to say which of Flagg鈥檚 characteristics stand out, which is why he is such a coveted teenager.
- He can shoot听鈥 36 per cent from the shorter college three-point line and 49 per cent overall.
- He grabbed 7.5 rebounds and dished out 4.2 assists per game in his one season at Duke.
- He averaged 1.3 blocked shots and 1.4 steals, guarding everything from point guards to centres.
But his nature might be his biggest attribute.
鈥淭he kid just wants to win, doesn鈥檛 matter what: scrimmage, drill, game,鈥 one Eastern Conference scout said. 鈥淓verything he does, he does to win.鈥
In this week’s mailbag, Doug Smith takes questions on anthem booing, Canada Basketball, the NBA draft, a Jamal Shead comparison and much more.
In this week’s mailbag, Doug Smith takes questions on anthem booing, Canada Basketball, the NBA draft, a Jamal Shead comparison and much more.
The most impressive thing he has done is handle all the attention. Since arriving at Duke, he has been pegged as the No. 1 draft pick. NBA teams threw their seasons away just to have a 14 per cent chance to draft him. He never took it for granted. He played his game and shone when the spotlight was on, but he never showed the slightest bit of entitlement.
鈥淭his kid is really talented, he’s really smart; I can’t wait to meet him,” Hall of Famer Charles Barkley said. “He seems like a really nice kid because he could have had what in my day we called a big head. He was the best high school player in the country, came in with all the pressure on him, but he’s lived up to the hype, he hasn’t had any missteps. People are out to get you when you’re famous, especially when you’re a 17- or 18-year-old kid.
“But I’m not going to compare. It would be a disservice for me to compare him to a great NBA player. He’s a pleasure to watch ... he鈥檚 a terrific young player, he looks amazing on television, and I can鈥檛 wait to see him in the NBA.”
Born in Newport, Maine, Flagg played his last two high school years at Florida鈥檚 Montverde Academy, the same prep school that groomed the Raptors’ Barrett and Barnes.
Flagg was USA Basketball鈥檚 male athlete of the year in 2022, after leading the United States to the FIBA under-17 World Cup, and on Friday was named The Associated Press men’s player of the year in the NCAA.
He is just the fourth freshman to win the award, joining Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson.听
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