DURHAM, N.C. — It looks as if a 3rd of the groups within the NBA are tanking — OK, attempting — to get Duke star Cooper Flagg.
The Nets are amongst them.
The Nets have gone from combating towards a rebuild to totally embracing one.
They performed Wednesday in Charlotte, a fellow lottery hopeful.
And a few hours up the highway — up on Tobacco Street, to be particular — Flagg is the franchise-changer they’re hoping for.
“It seems to be like we’ve lastly bought a No. 1 choose who’s really an actual No. 1 choose,” a Western Convention scout accustomed to the 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg advised The Publish.
Flagg is averaging 19.9 factors, eight rebounds and 4.1 assists, even including 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks.
Flagg has an all-around sport, making him a uncommon prospect that may be a lovely complement for a longtime All-Star.
However for Flagg, what impresses scouts aren’t his measurables, however his mentality.
If groups are going to gamble by tanking away a season, what convinces them Flagg is the closest factor to a positive wager isn’t simply potential, however coachability.
And he drove that time house in Duke’s 74-64 win over NC State.
Flagg completed a uncommon quiet first half Monday with simply 5 factors on 2-for-7 taking pictures, and the Blue Devils down by 4.
Throughout a timeout simply earlier than the break, Duke coach Jon Scheyer was blunt together with his star freshman.
“Coach is at all times trustworthy with me about what he thinks, and that’s one of many causes I selected him to be my coach … he’s at all times trustworthy with me and he retains it 100,” Flagg stated. “So, that’s what I would like from a coach, and that’s what he does.
“He stored it trustworthy with me. He advised me I used to be being finesse and mushy and quite a lot of different issues. So nearly responding nicely, and simply listening to that helps me lots.”
That’s what sort of robust love Flagg bought from Montverde’s Kevin Boyle, who additionally coached Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving and Scottie Barnes.
The Nets — who entered play Wednesday fifth within the NBA lottery odds — have an analogous coach in Jordi Fernandez.
Trustworthy teaching is what Flagg has had and desires — and presumably would thrive beneath.
“Yeah, for positive. I’ve at all times had coaches by way of AAU or highschool who have been at all times actually robust on me and exhausting on me, on the identical time letting me work by way of some issues,” Flagg stated. “That’s type of what I would like.”
Flagg responded within the second half with 23 factors on 6-for-10 taking pictures, 5 rebounds, two assists and a block — even in search of contact to attract eight fouls.
“In that timeout I challenged him, as a result of his sport isn’t just about scoring however about impacting profitable in each aspect,” Scheyer stated. “He knew it. Credit score him for responding.
“I may go on all day about Cooper, how coachable he’s. There’s perhaps a number of instances all year long the place he’s not going to love every thing you say. A whole lot of guys will struggle it, not acknowledge it. It’s a credit score to him.”
Flagg downplays discuss of his rising hype and NBA future.
However he admits the necessity to struggle physicality with aggression going ahead.
“I’ve to search out methods to be higher at combating that,” Flagg stated. “It’s not a alternative anymore, I’ve to be aggressive. What Coach advised me is that’s going to create for everybody else … I can’t get anybody else open if I’m enjoying mushy. For me, it’s now not a alternative of if I need to be aggressive or not. I’ve to be aggressive always.”
That received’t be an issue, in accordance with Dariq Whitehead, one in every of 4 Boyle disciples on Brooklyn’s roster.
On Dec. 13, the Nets had no probability at Flagg, set to draft fifteenth.
Now their odds of profitable the draft lottery are as much as 10.5 p.c — and simply two video games out of a High 3 seed, all with a flat 14 p.c.
And Whitehead was filled with reward for Flagg, the final word prize.
“Everyone within the high [echelon] within the nation, they’ve an awesome talent set. However for him, enjoying exhausting with it,” Whitehead advised The Publish. “You’ve bought quite a lot of high guys, their talent set will get them by. For him, he has an edge with him when he’s enjoying. He goes out and performs like he’s the final man on the bench. That’s what separates him from quite a lot of different guys, the mentality he has in going on the market and enjoying like he’s not the No. 1 participant within the nation, which he’s.
“Only a sure degree of starvation. He’s on the market enjoying like he’s the final man on the bench, like he’s getting rubbish minutes. And he’s enjoying like that … the complete time. He’s enjoying as exhausting as he can for nevertheless lengthy he’s within the sport, which is [what] separates him from quite a lot of guys that’s speculated to be high of the draft.”
And what makes him as shut as doable to a positive factor price tanking the Nets’ season for.