Blake Griffin knows what it\u2019s like to step into the NBA as the No. 1 draft pick. <\/p>\n
Griffin, who was the Clippers\u2019 first overall pick in the 2009 draft and became a six-time All-Star, thinks the Mavericks\u2019 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg<\/a> has the goods to succeed in the league and it set for stardom.<\/p>\n Griffin joined \u201cPost Moves with Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston\u201d<\/a> to talk hoops and was asked his thoughts on Flagg and what possible advice he has for Dallas\u2019 new star.<\/p>\n Spoiler alert: Griffin, who is set to debut as a studio analyst for Prime Video this season alongside Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki<\/a>, didn\u2019t have much advice for Flagg, but in a complimentary way.<\/p>\n Mavericks<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t even know if I have advice, because it seems like the kid\u2019s got it figured out,\u201d Griffin joked.<\/p>\n Just how well does Flagg have things figured out? Griffin believes Flagg is the most complete player we\u2019ve seen enter the NBA in recent years, even more so Victor Wembanyama.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s the most complete player we\u2019ve seen come into the NBA in recent memory,\u201d Griffin said \u201cNot saying he doesn\u2019t have room to grow; he still has a ton of room to grow, but I mean, he passes, he shoots, he defends, he rebounds, he seems like a great teammate and seems like a great kid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the red flag? Which is very exciting for basketball to have these young guys. Wemby is very complete as well, but Cooper is able to play so many different positions, guard so many different positions\u2026 I\u2019m just excited for him to start this journey”<\/p>\n Related:Cooper Flagg\u2019s relentless work ethic, competitive spirit could make him NBA\u2019s next prodigy<\/a><\/p>\n Factor in the fact that Flagg is joining a team like the Mavericks that has playoff expectations, and it seems like he\u2019s entering a solid situation in Dallas. Most No. 1 picks are selected by teams coming off a horrid stretch that landed them that high in the lottery. The Mavs, on the other hand, are just one season removed from a trip to the NBA Finals and despite a tumultuous 2024-25 season due to the disastrous Luka Doncic trade<\/a> and a host of injuries, are still built to win in the present.<\/p>\n Griffin said that being drafted to a situation like Dallas will be beneficial as Flagg embarks on his NBA career.<\/p>\n \u201cI also love that he\u2019s in Dallas,\u201d he said. \u201cI think they have a really solid team around him. Most No. 1 picks are going to teams that haven\u2019t been doing too great in the past. I\u2019m just excited for him to start this journey.\u201d<\/p>\n While Griffin began by saying he didn\u2019t think he had any specific advice for Flagg given what a terrific player he already appears to be, he did close with some quality advice that he gives to all athletes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe only thing I\u2019d say is that it\u2019s a different level and it\u2019s a marathon,\u201d he explained. \u201cYou\u2019re playing a lot of games, there\u2019s a lot of scrutiny, there\u2019s gonn be ups and downs. It\u2019s just that thing of ride that wave. Don\u2019t get too high, don\u2019t get too low. My only advice that I give to any athlete is take your craft very seriously, but try not to take yourself too seriously. At the end of the day, we\u2019re playing a sport invented for children as a pastime to keep them busy in P.E.\u201d<\/p>\n