Cooper Flagg, 17, shines in scrimmage vs. Team USA Olympics squad – NBC Los Angeles

A 3-pointer over Anthony Davis, swish. A baseline turnaround over Jrue Vacation, simple. An acrobatic putback after crashing the boards and getting fouled by Bam Adebayo, no downside.

These are three of one of the best defenders within the NBA.

Cooper Flagg is 17 years previous. He held his personal towards all of them.

The story of apply for the U.S. Olympic basketball crew on Monday was Flagg, who hasn’t even performed his first faculty recreation but. The Duke freshman — a part of the choose crew that was invited to work out towards the Olympic squad throughout their coaching camp and broadly believed to be within the combine because the No. 1 decide in subsequent 12 months’s draft — regarded completely comfortable going towards among the NBA’s greatest names.

“The chance, it was nice,” Flagg stated. “It was a blessing to be right here. I feel simply the physicality, and simply the extent of the place I wish to get to, there’s lots to get higher at, lots the place I have to preserve enhancing. This confirmed simply how large the main points are.”

He will certainly get higher. That could be a scary idea.

“He kicked butt right here,” U.S. choose crew coach Jamahl Mosley of the Orlando Magic stated. “There’s a respect issue for what he’s accomplished. Individuals who haven’t seen him play, as he will get himself going inside the recreation, they rapidly see what he can do.”

The choose crew is usually made up of younger NBA gamers, introduced in to scrimmage the nationwide crew and assist them put together for both World Cup or Olympic competitors. Flagg was the primary faculty participant requested to be a part of the choose crew since Doug McDermott and Marcus Good have been requested to hitch a mini-camp in 2013.

However these conditions weren’t wherever close to the identical as Flagg being a part of this camp. McDermott had performed 110 faculty video games for Creighton at that time and was a two-time consensus All-American. Good was coming off a freshman season when he received Large 12 rookie of the 12 months and participant of the 12 months honors at Oklahoma State. They have been already confirmed.

Flagg has zero faculty factors. He nonetheless proved loads on this camp.

“He desires it,” U.S. guard Devin Booker stated. “I do know this expertise, he will take with him and transfer ahead.”

In Monday’s scrimmage — the Olympic crew beat the choose crew 74-73 — Flagg was in the course of all the pieces down the stretch and regarded completely comfy. And when it was over, there have been loads of photos with everybody; the choose crew’s last day in camp was Monday, although some could also be invited to stay round to proceed helping the Olympic squad.

“To have the ability to do what he did, not even enjoying a university recreation, not to mention an NBA recreation, there is not any concern,” choose crew ahead Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Warmth stated. “It’s relentless. And the factor which you can inform about him is that he simply has a knack and the desire to win. He would not want the ball. He simply finds a method to it. And the ball finds its method to him. That’s one thing which you can’t educate. He is simply acquired a fantastic really feel for the sport.”

Flagg is a 6-foot-9 ahead from Newport, Maine, however performed his final three years of highschool basketball at Montverde Academy in Florida. He selected Duke over Connecticut, was USA Basketball’s male athlete of the 12 months in 2022 after main the Individuals to gold on the U17 World Cup, and was the Gatorade Nationwide Participant of the Yr, Naismith Participant of the Yr and a McDonald’s All-American in his last highschool season.

“I used to be shocked, I used to be stunned, and I used to be actually excited for this chance,” Flagg stated. “And I’m simply actually blessed that I used to be in a position to come out and capitalize on it and present what I’ve. I used to be actually grateful to return out and be taught. That was the most important factor for me, simply having the ability to be taught and develop, to share a gymnasium with all of those nice, nice names. Legends. So, I’m simply actually blessed.”