LAS VEGAS — The USA Select Team — the scrimmage sparring partner for the Paris Olympic-bound Team USA — is stacked with young talent from across the NBA: Brandon Miller (Charlotte), Keegan Murray (Sacramento), Amen Thompson (Houston), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami) and Trey Murphy, who is about to get a huge contract from the Pelicans. And that’s just a few names.
Cooper Flagg stole the show Monday from all of them.
The Duke commit who just finished high school has impressed in the parts of two scrimmages the media has witnessed. He has flashed a smooth shooting stroke, a feel for the game, and plenty of athleticism.
Duke commit Cooper Flagg has taken over USA Basketball scrimmage: hits a three and then finishes a tough putback pic.twitter.com/SB3Y4fDpYt
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2024
We knew Flagg was good, the 6'8" wing is the early projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and had teams thinking he could be a franchise cornerstone. Meaning this is a guy worth tanking for.
How good was he in Monday’s scrimmage? ESPN’s Marc Spears asked an NBA coach on hand.
Was Cooper Flagg the best player on the USA Select Team? One current NBA head coach in attendance said yes.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 8, 2024
“I’m confident in my ability and my skill,” Flagg said. “At the end of the day, I’m confident in who I am and what I do.”
He also said he’s getting a lot of encouragement from the veterans on Team USA.
“They’ve all been pretty welcoming…" Flagg said. “They’re just telling me to keep working and stay grounded.”
Flagg now heads to a Duke team that is stacked and will enter next season with high expectations. Flagg looked like a guy ready to live up to those expectations for himself.