TIM MACMAHON
Dallas – Cooper Flagg called it a “blessings” to be the rare overall choice n ° 1 which is not the centerpiece of a reconstruction franchise, rather landing on a Dallas Mavericks Line loaded with veterans, including some future starves.
“Many people in this position or this situation are not granted this opportunity, so I really feel blessed and grateful for the situation that was given to me,” Flagg said on Friday during his introductory press conference at the Mavericks practice center. “I can’t wait to be a sponge. I just went here, I am delighted to learn, to do everything and to learn guys who are older and who have already lived all this before.
“These guys have so much knowledge. They have lived so much and they have so much experience that it will just be an incredible opportunity for me to learn and grow under them.”
The new Flagg teammates, 18, include a trio that combined 24 all-star appearances and six NBA championships Kyrie Irving,, Anthony Davis And Klay Thompson.
Dallas landed at the recovery lottery after finishing 39-43 and being eliminated during the last game game of the Western Conference. The MAVs were extraordinarily Lucking, winning the overall choice n ° 1 despite only 1.8% dimensions. Consequently, after having led Duke to a final appearance four in his academic season, Flagg will start his NBA career in a team that aspires to face immediately, although IRVIN will probably miss the first half of the season while recovering from a torn ACL.
“We are in win-plus mode, and he adds it, but he is also the future of the franchise,” said Mavs Managing Director Nico Harrison.
The 6 -foot flagg 8 inch and 220 pounds is considered one of the most versatile perspectives of recent memory, after having led Duke in a score (19.2 points per match), bouncing (7.5), aid (4.2), stolen (1.4) and blocks (1.4) on the way to win several men in the national honorary. Its ability to have an impact on the game of such a wide variety of ways offers coach Jason Kidd of the flexibility of alignment.
“Looking at the list, we can play a very good brand of basketball without position with many guys that can do a lot of different things,” said Flagg. “So I think it would be one of the greatest forces. I’m just trying to play with it and do everything I can to help the team win.”
Kidd described Flagg as “a basketball player” and a “winner”, above all. But Kidd has a particular position in mind so that Flagg begins: the leader, at least for the Las Vegas Summer League which begins on July 10 with the MAVs facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening.
As a Milwaukee Bucks coach, Kidd adopted a similar approach with Giannis antetokounmpowho was 19 years old and entering his second season at the time. This fueled the ascent of Antetokounmpo in a perennial all-star and a double MVP.
“I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts (to) being able to perform the show, be able to play both, play the three,” Kidd said about Flagg. “It is comfortable playing this, but we want to push, and I think it will answer positively. It is good to fail, it is good to turn the ball. We have talked about that. Just understand the guys I went with the young people – from Giannis, giving him the ball and he failed, but he wanted to come back and have the ball.
“So I am delighted to give (Flagg) the ball against the Lakers and to see what is going on. Let’s start right away. But I think that his balance – he’s going to succeed for a long time.”
Flagg said he had the impression that the creation and creation of games were the facets of the game in which he had progressed the most during his season in Duke, which went 35-4.
“I think I’m comfortable with the ball in my hands,” said Flagg. “The coach (Jon Scheyer) really trusted me right away, and I had to carry out errors, tests, tribulations and I understand it.
The arrival of Flagg in Dallas invigorated a MAVS fans base which was indigenous and devastated by the February trade in the selection of the first all-nba team five times Luka Donic at the Los Angeles Lakers.
Doncic had taken the metaphorical torch of the Dirk Nowitzki renowned temple as the face of the franchise. This responsibility now belongs to Flagg, although this is not its main objective.
“I just tried to learn and try to improve every day,” said Flagg. “If I can do it the best of my abilities, I think that the expectations and pressures that other people will put on me and our team, it will take place in a way. So I try just to come and be the best possible and gain at the highest level.”
