Cooper Flagg's stock has only grown this week since he took the floor with a herd of future Hall of Famers as a member of the 2024 USA Basketball select team.
Flagg, expected to be the top pick of the 2025 NBA draft who will play at Duke next season, turned heads during the select team's scrimmage against Team USA on Monday. So much so that one NBA coach has crowned him as the best player on the select team.
Was Cooper Flagg the best player on the USA Select Team? One current NBA head coach in attendance said yes.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 8, 2024
That's high praise, considering there are 12 current NBA players on the select team, including Orlando Magic star Jalen Suggs, Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard and Sacramento Kings sharpshooter Keegan Murray.
“Coop was playing out of his mind,” Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., also a member of the select team, said Monday [h/t The Athletic].
“He showed no fear,” Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren said. “He came and worked hard every day. You would think he’s already here, you know what I mean?”
Flagg, a 6'9" small forward out of Maine, is the No. 1 nationally ranked recruit in the United States. He flashed his elite potential in one sequence during the scrimmage against Team USA, knocking down a three-pointer over Anthony Davis and putting back a missed triple from Murray for an and-one opportunity.
Cooper Flagg is the real deal pic.twitter.com/Os1d0bbP71
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) July 8, 2024
The 2025 NBA draft is less than a year away. Is it too early for teams to start tanking for the top pick?
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NBA Players Rave About Cooper Flagg As Duke Recruit Dazzles vs. Team USA.
