How GOOD Could Cooper Flagg Really Be?

How GOOD Could Cooper Flagg Really Be?

Cooper flag is what a true number one pick looks like. Not just the size, the skill, or the athleticism, which he has in spades. It’s the humility, the work ethic, and what we in NBA circles call that dog in him after just two summer league games. The hype train is officially in full flow, and Von Victor is your conductor. But here’s the real question. How will the Mavericks maximize this gift from the basketball gods? Because make no mistake, that’s what this is. Dallas has a horrendous track record with homegrown stars. Steve Nash kicked out the door. Dirk Noitzky carried them in spite of the front office. Pay cut after paycut. Oh yeah, and some guy named Luca Donuch, they used him up and traded him in the middle of the night for pennies on the dollar. So now the pressure is on and if the Mavericks finally get it right, the ceiling is damn near limitless. And that’s the premise we’re operating on today. Join me as we break down Cooper Flag’s insane skill set and give you a realworld comparison. No glazing, no BS, just what this kid could actually become. And spoiler alert, NBA fans better start getting excited. Cooper Flag is 6’9″, 200 lb with a 7 foot wingspan, elite defensive instincts. But what separates him isn’t just the measurements, it’s the motor, the decision making, sheer presence, and these are traits he’s possessed since high school. So, this is what separates him from even other number one picks. Sure, skill, size, and athleticism are great, but do you have that extra edge that’s going to make you stand apart? And so far, at every level, Cooper Flag has shown that at Duke, he lived up to every part of the billing, continuing in their vaunted tradition of being another number one pick to come from there. Oh, and he also won the male college player of the year in the process in a team that was absolutely stacked. His flag responds to that. Wants the criticism and boy is he off to some kind of start here tonight. Team USA put him in with grown men when he was 18. And in his first two summer league games, he looked like a vet in a gym full of prospects. He’s not just playing, he’s reading, reacting, and commanding. It’s as if the game moves in slow motion for him. Defensively, he’s a nightmare. Switchable, instinctual, violent without fouling. But the offense is where things get scary. He’s already showing flashes of a selfcreator off the dribble, in transition, and on broken plays. And he doesn’t just take shots, he takes the right shots. Combine that with his IQ and what you have is a player who could actually anchor your defense and initiate your offense. There aren’t many of those ever. And hilariously enough, he’s going to be learning from one of those few examples in Anthony Davis. That being said, let’s talk about the elephant in the thumbnail. What is Cooper Flag’s absolute ceiling and how good could he really be? Well, if all things play out and Dallas doesn’t screw it up, Cooper Flag could actually be a Giannis Dirk Hybrid. Sounds crazy, I know, but hear me out for a sec. Giannis, the defensive versatility, the relentless motor, the ability to go coast to coast, the freakish timing and body control in chaos, that’s Giannis DNA. But the touch, the footwork at 18 years old, the willingness to go into mid-range face ups and shoot with gravity, having a greatl looking shot. That’s Durk’s craft and it’s already brewing. To be clear, he’s obviously not as athletic as Giannis, and he doesn’t have Durk’s bag and pure jumper yet, but the blend of traits, it’s real. And he’s not copying them either. He’s becoming his own archetype, a dangerous one. And of course, let’s keep in mind, it’s easy to see who Giannis and Durk became and to think that, well, Mr. Victor needs to go back on his meds. I get you. But if you look at where Cooper Flag is now at 18 versus where Giannis and Durk were, well, in actuality, he’s actually far ahead of them at this stage. And that’s what makes this comparison really freaky and interesting because it could happen. He’s already a better defender and more athletic than Durk ever was, but still has the greatl looking shot and the foundational there, plus the size mismatch. And on the flip side, he’s already a better shooter than Giannis will probably end up being. He’s maybe 80 to 90% of the defender that Giannis is, which projects to be outstanding. Plus, he’s only 18 years old, so he’s got plenty of time to evolve, put on weight, become stronger and faster. So, even then, he could mimic Giannis more. But when you see him on these fast breaks and he’s running coast to coast, who else does that remind you of? But the truth is, you can’t talk about Cooper Flag ceiling without talking about the Dallas Mavericks because like it or not, they’re deeply intertwined. And this franchise has wasted greatness before, as recently as this past year with the worst trade in NBA history. But even before that, Nash never should have been allowed to leave. He only went on to Phoenix and won two MVPs backto back. Durk carried a flawed roster for years, won a title, and still was asked to take pay cuts and did so. And then, of course, we just talked about Luca. And by some miracle, the basketball gods gifted the Mavericks with the 1.8% chance of landing Cooper Flag, and somehow they got that lottery ball. So, in essence, Cooper Flag represents the first true franchise reset since Luca’s departure. and he’s a rookie, which means the system matters, the support matters, coaching matters. If they put the right people around him and do what’s right for him, you might see a two-way forward MVP candidate within 5 years. Let’s talk outcomes. Cooper flags floor. Even if the shot stalls and he never becomes the 25 point per game scorer that he projects to be, you still have a versatile defender, high IQ connector, and allstar glue guy. That’s his floor. But then if you think about the ceiling, if the jumper keeps improving, if his playmaking keeps evolving, you’re looking at a foundational franchise piece, someone who wins games by controlling every dimension of the court and gives your team that edge. just by being on the court. Cooper flag is already better than most rookies we’ve seen in the last 10 years. But this isn’t just about summer league stats and small sample sizes. It’s about mentality. It’s about trajectory. And it’s about whether Dallas is ready or not to take a gift from the basketball gods and turn him into a legend. How good could Cooper flag really be? The real answer depends on Dallas. But if they get it right, the league has no idea what’s coming. A Giannis Durk hybrid lurking in the shadows. [Music]

Cooper Flagg is the Giannis–Dirk hybrid the Dallas Mavericks have been dreaming of and he could change the NBA forever.

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