[autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] didn’t make the Olympic squad for the United States this summer, but even as a member of the Select Team, the incoming Duke freshman might have won the week.
The top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2024 will begin his Duke career shortly, but he spent the past two days scrimmaging against Team USA. He went viral multiple times for his efforts, first for a slashing dunk on Sunday before he knocked down back-to-back buckets on Monday. The performances caught the eyes of NBA scouts and coaches alike.
ESPN writer Marc J. Spears started the wave with a social media post on Monday night saying one current NBA coach called Flagg the best player on the Select Team. Keep in mind, Flagg was the only collegiate player on that squad as every other member of the team came from the NBA.
On3’s Jamie Shaw followed up with a bigger report on Tuesday with multiple anonymous takes from NBA scouts.
When I talked to a handful of NBA Scouts about Cooper Flagg this is what they had to say | READ: https://t.co/H7SNt0BxUa pic.twitter.com/ChwNIkK00T
— Jamie Shaw (@JamieShaw5) July 9, 2024
The scouts Shaw spoke to routinely praised Flagg’s competitiveness, a trait Duke coach Jon Scheyer also pointed out as a positive. His defense came up over and over again, with one quote from the report calling him one of the best defensive prospects of the last decade.
“He’s super versatile on the defensive end,” one scout said. “That’s what his best attribute is, the defensive instincts and his competitiveness.”
Scouts likened him to NBA names like Paul George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and former Duke basketball star [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag]. They had questions about how Flagg would take a step forward as a shot creator and as an offensive presence, but the floor seems high.
“At worst, as long as his motor and competitive edge doesn’t give, he’s got the chance to be a long-time presence on an All-NBA defensive list,” one scout told Shaw. “At best, he can be the face of the new frontier of the upcoming talent into the league.”