{"id":5177,"date":"2025-06-22T12:19:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T12:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/5177\/"},"modified":"2025-06-22T12:19:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T12:19:09","slug":"cooper-flaggs-relentless-work-ethic-competitive-spirt-could-make-him-nbas-next-prodigy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/5177\/","title":{"rendered":"Cooper Flagg\u2019s relentless work ethic, competitive spirt could make him NBA\u2019s next prodigy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cooper Flagg<\/a> runs from baseline to baseline inside a small gym, catching a basketball and finishing with a one-handed dunk while alternating hands. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a drill few could execute, let alone a middle schooler in a small Maine town. <\/p>\n

No spectators are there to witness these early stages of his development besides Flagg\u2019s trainer, Matt MacKenzie, and his twin brother, Ace. No national notoriety. No scouts eyeing his every move. And no fans chanting for Flagg to play one more year at Duke.<\/a><\/p>\n

He\u2019s just a preteen without the burden of expectation, engaged in constant repetition. Flagg\u2019s desire to improve as a basketball player laid the foundation for his evolution into one of the most talented NBA prospects of the decade.<\/a><\/p>\n

Mavericks<\/p>\n

Be the smartest Mavericks fan. Get the latest news.<\/p>\n

Living life in obscurity is no longer the case for that lanky kid from Newport who\u2019ll likely cement <\/b>himself as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 draft when the Mavericks are on the clock Wednesday night.<\/a><\/p>\n

Related:As Cooper Flagg-led reality sets in, Duke star\u2019s fit with Mavs isn\u2019t difficult to envision<\/a><\/p>\n

Those who know Flagg best say he\u2019ll be successful in the NBA because of his deep passion for the game and elite processing skills. Those who\u2019ve evaluated him say he\u2019s a generational talent<\/a>, a 6-8 forward who isn\u2019t limited to playing one position. Those who\u2019ve coached against him rave about his defensive versatility, complementing his length and size.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll dominate 10 different ways in one game and 10 different ways in 10 different games,\u201d said former NBA player Brian Scalabrine, who introduced Flagg to Duke coach Jon Scheyer.<\/p>\n

Someday, a player is going to succeed LeBron James and Stephen Curry as the future face of the league. Flagg has a strong case.<\/p>\n

Being a prodigy is tough to handle, but Flagg is off to a good start, an NBA executive from an Eastern Conference team told The Dallas Morning News, citing James and another No. 1 pick, Victor Wembanyama<\/a>, as potential models for the former Duke freshman.<\/p>\n

A versatile two-way \u2018supercomputer\u2019<\/p>\n

Flagg, whose basketball journey began in the quiet town of Newport, is set to be the first player drafted from Maine (and fourth overall) since Jeff Turner in 1984.<\/p>\n

He was born into a hoops family. His parents, Kelly and Ralph Flagg, played college basketball. Ace will play this fall <\/b>at the University of Maine, where their older brother, Hunter, is working toward a degree in sports management.<\/p>\n

Kelly reached out to MacKenzie when her twins were 12 because she was looking for someone to push them and develop their unique skillsets. MacKenzie, who played college basketball at Husson University in Bangor, Maine, from 2006-10, knew he wasn\u2019t working with the average preteen during their first session because of how quickly he processed concepts. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou only had to tell him something once and he was immediately starting to apply it into drill work,\u201d MacKenzie recently told The News, \u201cand then I would watch his games and he would immediately start to try to apply it into his game. So there was just an incredibly steep learning curve. He was able to pick up on things quickly. It was very natural to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flagg\u2019s basketball IQ and his ability to make quick decisions are why Scalabrine labeled him a \u201csupercomputer.\u201d <\/b>Flagg played against high schoolers as a preteen, developing a relentless work ethic. The skills he executes in games are the same moves he repeated during the countless hours he spent with his trainers as they refined his handle, sharpened his jumpshot and studied tape.<\/p>\n

Ahead of Flagg\u2019s freshman year at Nokomis High School, MacKenzie called Scalabrine, who won a championship in 2008 with the Boston Celtics. He brought in college players to play against Flagg once he reached high school, a contributing factor to his decision to reclassify from the class of 2025 to 2024. <\/a><\/p>\n

Flagg has said he embraced sacrificing a year of high school to make an immediate impact at the college level. Holding his own as a 17-year-old against several members of Team USA ahead of last year\u2019s Olympics seemed to validate the decision. It also honed his fierce competitive instincts.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just necessarily on the basketball court,\u201d MacKenzie said. \u201cIf you go out and play golf with him, if you go and play a yard game like cornhole with him or ping pong, he just wants to win. That\u2019s his DNA.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked to provide an example of a time when he saw Flagg benefit from their work together, MacKenzie points to his improved 3-point percentages midway through his freshman year at Duke.<\/p>\n

MacKenzie, co-founder of RESULTS Basketball, traveled from Maine to Durham, N.C., when Flagg was on Christmas break because he noticed inconsistencies in his shooting percentages. Flagg shot 11-of-44 from beyond the arc in 12 games before Christmas. There wasn\u2019t anything wrong with Flagg\u2019s mechanics, MacKenzie says, especially since they adjusted his shot pocket the previous summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was dropping his hands and he wasn\u2019t landing with balance,\u201d MacKenzie said. \u201c\u200b\u200bI showed him on film some examples of when he did it well versus when he didn\u2019t do it well. We repped it out. We got three good days of work and when he came back, you could see even in pregame, he was really intentional about coming back down on two feet after every shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

The night MacKenzie left, Flagg went back to the Krzyzewski Center and put up 750 shots using the suggested adjustments, building the muscle memory needed so he could apply it during games. After his workout, he sent MacKenzie a text message with a photo of himself inside the practice facility:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really going to lock in on this, Matt. Thank you for coming down. I appreciate it,\u201d the text read.<\/p>\n

Related:Who is Cooper Flagg? 10 things to know about Mavericks\u2019 projected pick at No. 1 overall<\/a><\/p>\n

The results were apparent. Flagg connected on 32 of 70 from deep in the final 19 games of the regular season and finished with a 3-point percentage of 38.5%.<\/p>\n

Flagg has said he \u201cwouldn\u2019t be the player I am\u201d without MacKenzie, according to a quote on the trainer\u2019s website.<\/a><\/p>\n

Offensively, Flagg is the entire package. He can handle the ball and has vision similar to that of a lead guard, allowing him to make plays for himself and teammates. He has a pull-up jumper that improved dramatically throughout his lone season at Duke. He can create in isolation, initiate and finish in transition, and work out of the post. On nights when the Blue Devils needed a scorer, he delivered. He scored a career-high 42 points on Jan. 11 against Notre Dame. When they needed a playmaker, he accepted that role, finishing with six or more assists 13 times.<\/p>\n

Once, when Flagg was 15, Scalabrine found a rim-running center to test his ability to operate the pick-and-roll and make accurate reads. The goal was for Flagg to throw a bounce or lob pass to the big man during a 5-on-5 scrimmage while Scalabrine, who played 11 seasons in the NBA, was in drop coverage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took Cooper like seven minutes to dominate this coverage,\u201d Scalabrine told The News. \u201cI remind you, he\u2019s never been in that scenario before and he\u2019s mastered it in six or seven minutes. \u2026 I\u2019ve been around young players. It takes them years and reps upon reps to pick this stuff up, and I think that\u2019s his greatest attribute.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flagg\u2019s upside on defense makes him an elite two-way force, especially in an era of basketball when players have specialized skillsets. Under Scheyer\u2019s leadership, Flagg was the team\u2019s defensive quarterback. He communicated switches, blew up pick-and-rolls and guarded all five positions.<\/p>\n

The Eastern Conference executive compared Flagg to Scottie Pippen when it comes to creating space on defense, praising his abilities to switch one through five, play across positions and blow up teams\u2019 plays. <\/p>\n

Flagg averaged 18.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.6 steals last season, earning All-American and Player of the Year honors while leading Duke to 35 wins and a Final Four appearance.<\/p>\n

It was impressive to watch from afar, the executive told The News, especially considering he was on one of the best college teams in the country when he should have been in high school.<\/p>\n

\u2018That\u2019s just not who I am\u2019<\/p>\n

Flagg experienced several pivotal moments during his brief college career but also experienced adversity, most notably twice during the postseason. He was spotted in a wheelchair after suffering an ankle injury against Georgia Tech that kept him sidelined for most of Duke\u2019s ACC tournament championship run. <\/p>\n

His coach, Scheyer, said Flagg wanted to play through the injury, but Duke\u2019s medical staff cautioned against it until he was 100% healthy. He returned to action for the Blue Devils\u2019 NCAA Tournament opener against Mount Saint Mary\u2019s and played through their Final Four loss to Houston.<\/a> <\/p>\n

Flagg could have ended his college career the moment he suffered the injury to protect his body, knowing he was the consensus No. 1 draft pick. Instead, he chose to finish the season with his teammates.<\/p>\n

It showed how much Flagg loves the game, an ACC coach who opposed him told The News, because most players wouldn\u2019t have returned.<\/p>\n

For all his passion and competitiveness, Flagg doesn\u2019t obsess over past mistakes \u2013 the game-winning shot he missed against Houston in the national semifinal. He told Sports Illustrated he hasn\u2019t watched the end of the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just not who I am,\u201d Flagg said. \u201cI\u2019m not going to beat myself up over whether I could have taken one more dribble or whether I could have done something different.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next chapter<\/p>\n

Flagg is about to embark on a journey only those who came before him can understand. <\/p>\n

Instead of harping on the past, he is on the cusp of realizing a long-awaited dream: playing in the NBA. He\u2019s coming off his lone pre-draft visit with the Mavericks, which included a private dinner at Bob\u2019s Chop and Steak House, a standard workout and meetings with team officials.<\/a><\/p>\n

Related:Inside Cooper Flagg\u2019s Dallas visit: An iconic steakhouse, a Mavericks workout and more<\/a><\/p>\n

The No. 1 pick bears the weight of expectations to improve a franchise\u2019s fortunes almost overnight. See Wembanyama, Paolo Banchero, Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards.<\/p>\n

Even Mavericks stars Kyrie Irving<\/a> and Anthony Davis<\/a> were tasked with reviving Cleveland and New Orleans, who drafted them No. 1 in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Unlike most teams that wind up with the No. 1 pick, the Mavericks are built to contend, as long as the roster is healthy. Flagg can rely on the two former No. 1s and plenty of veterans, a unique position for a rookie star.<\/p>\n

But Dallas will be without a primary playmaker for a significant chunk of the season while Irving recovers from ACL surgery. Could Flagg, who\u2019s played forward for most of his young career, be an option at point guard for Mavericks coach Jason Kidd?<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they pulled the [No. 1] envelope out and it said the Dallas Mavericks, my mind said, \u2018Jason Kidd is going to play him at the point,\u2019\u201d Scalabrine said.<\/p>\n

Scalabrine, who played four seasons with Kidd in New Jersey, made the assumption based on the former Milwaukee coach\u2019s history with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kidd was one of the first NBA coaches to use the two-time MVP forward at point guard, which further unlocked his full potential.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would not surprise me, especially with Kyrie Irving out, if he dabbles with Cooper at the point,\u201d Scalabrine said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m not saying point forward, like Draymond Green. I\u2019m saying point guard, like get us into our offense and set us up. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe long-term development of that is why I think it\u2019s a great fit. … If I\u2019m giving that position to anybody, I\u2019m giving it to the guy who can figure things out.\u201d<\/p>\n

If all goes according to plan, Flagg will be on a flight to Dallas before the end of the week. But until commissioner Adam Silver announces the Mavericks\u2019 pick, Flagg is focused on the present.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the biggest thing is \u2026 not trying to think too far into the future,\u201d Flagg told SI. \u201cNot worrying about what\u2019s coming down the road, but just focusing on right here, right now, on what I can control and just getting the most out of every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n

X\/Twitter:<\/b> @MikeACurtis2<\/a><\/p>\n

Find more Mavericks coverage from <\/b>The Dallas Morning News<\/b> here<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cooper Flagg runs from baseline to baseline inside a small gym, catching a basketball and finishing with a…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5178,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[1339,2494,3139,6650,2629,1317,1337,1338,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-5177","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-basketball","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-cooper-flagg","10":"tag-dallas-mavericks","11":"tag-mavericks","12":"tag-nba-draft","13":"tag-ncaa","14":"tag-ncaa-basketball","15":"tag-ncaabasketball","16":"tag-sports","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-unitedstates","19":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114726984942050488","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5177"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5177\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}