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Cooper Flagg gets the LeBron James stamp of approval.
James, on Tuesday’s episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast, said why he liked the presumptive No. 1 NBA draft pick’s game.
“I personally think that he wants to be great. He had a hell of a year at Duke,” James said on the show he hosts with Steve Nash. “[Flagg is] a guy that can do so many different things out on the floor. Can play with the ball, can play without the ball. His jump shot is going to continue to get better. Super athletic, quick second jump.”
Ever since the Mavericks won the draft lottery in May, Flagg has been penciled in to be heading to Dallas — an unusual landing spot for a top pick as the team wasn’t “tanking,” is full of veterans and plans to be competitive this past season despite trading away Luka Doncic.
James believes this will work in Flagg’s favor.
“He has the benefit, unlike myself, he gets to join a team that’s established with Hall of Fame guys — Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving — right off the bat. Hall of Fame coach, Jason Kidd,” James added. “They can give him the whole blueprint while he continues to learn what his blueprint will be.”
In James’ day, he was selected by the Cavaliers in 2003 when the team was fresh off an abysmal 17-65 season.
The then-18-year-old was immediately tasked with some heavy lifting for the franchise.
Flagg won’t have this typical burden of a No. 1 pick with the veteran options like Davis, Irving and Thompson leading the team – and he’ll get to learn a thing or two from them, too.
“I think that will be an incredible thing to have that type of presence, that type of leadership, that type of just basketball IQ and knowledge around him every single day from those pieces,” James said.
Flagg is coined as a unique prospect, as he doesn’t blow other prospects out of the water in any one category, but still excels at just about anything.
The 18-year-old racked up just about every honor possible in his lone season at Duke as the Naismith Award winner, Wooden Award winner, the AP Player of the Year and a consensus All American.
He should make him fit particularly well in Dallas, where the goal is to compete for a championship immediately.
“I think he’s going to be amazing,” James said.
English (US)