Cooper Flagg is the phenomenon that America is waiting for to embody the future in the NBA in the face of the plethora of foreign talents.
In recent years, the NBA has been taken over by foreign talents and the latter monopolize individual awards. Just look at last season, where Cameroonian Joel Embiid was elected MVP of the regular season and Serbian Nikola Jokic MVP of the Finals. This year again, the title of best player of the season should be played out between Jokic, the Slovenian Luka Doncic and the Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. All this without mentioning the sensational arrival of Frenchman Victor Wembanyama on the scene.
The United States is looking for a player capable, in the medium term, of succeeding the LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant of this world, all much closer to the end than the beginning. That player might just be Cooper Flagg. At 18 years old, the winger from Maine is already eagerly awaited in the NBA, a universe that he will only discover in a little over a year, after having spent a season at Duke University, one of the most prestigious in the country. If we compare him to Wembanyama, it’s not really for any physical or technical similarity, although Flagg has striking wingspan and skills. Rather, it’s because like the San Antonio Spurs interior, the American will most likely be the undisputed No. 1 in his 2025 Draft class before he’s even played his first post-high school game.
A remarkable performance at the Hoop Summit
Observers of high school basketball and international youth games are clear: Cooper Flagg has what it takes to become a generational talent and help restore balance in the Force. Like every year, the Hoop Summit, played on Saturday in Oregon, allowed young American and international talents to compete in an exhibition match. If on the “world” side, we could see the 17-year-old Frenchman Nolan Traoré stand out, with 18 points on the clock, the Americans only had eyes for Flagg.
The Newport native, at 2.06m tall, admired his scoring, his skill, his ability to grab rebounds and take difficult shots. His copy: 19 points and 11 rebounds at 8/11 and in 25 minutes.
Coming to Cameron soon. Cooper Flagg is special.
19 pts
8/11 FG
11 rebs pic.twitter.com/KsV9r1NBI7— Zion O. (@DukeNBA) April 14, 2024
His first and only season in the NCAA with the Blue Devils will be particularly followed and we can expect to see a significant number of NBA franchises tanking and not doing everything to have a competitive team next season, in the hope of being able to recruit Cooper Flagg.
2024-04-14 14:43:00
#American #Wembanyama #noticed
