The NBA draft tips off Wednesday night from the Barclays Center, and the first name expected to be called is Duke’s Cooper Flagg.
Not a huge surprise after he did everything for the Blue Devils last season — he led the team in points, rebounds, assists and steals — as they went to the Final Four.
When the Dallas Mavericks take Flagg — barring a major surprise — he will be the second-youngest No. 1 pick of all time, behind only LeBron James. The Cavaliers took James first in 2003.
James had some high praise for Flagg on his “Mind the Game” podcast.
“I personally think that he wants to be great,” he said. “He had a hell of a year at Duke. 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.”
James does see a difference between Flagg’s situation and his own.
“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. You know, these guys are like, they can give him the whole blueprint while he continues to learn what his blueprint will be.”
As a 19-year-old rookie, James was the leading scorer with 20 points per game on a Cavs team that finished fifth in the Central Division. The lineup also featured Carlos Boozer, Ricky Davis and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
James didn’t make the playoffs until his third season, and even then the lineup didn’t compare to what the Mavs will have next season — if healthy.
“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. “So, I think he’s going to be amazing.”
