Cooper Flagg

[Kernewek]

Cooper says the '85-'86 Celtics are the best team of all time.

https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1810531404238950857

2 out of 3 ain't bad. 

If he'd said Kobe or Lebron I might have to disavow him.

But, I'm calling out Flagg's parents for not teaching a sense of history.  There's only one acceptable answer to defensive GOAT, and that's Bill Russell.

I was about to say "in his defense, he never saw Bill Russell play" but (today in: sobering reminders of the passage of time) Michael Jordan was about eight years into his second retirement when Cooper Flagg was born.

[Roy H.]

All Cooper Flagg had to do was show he belonged on the floor with the NBA?s best. He accomplished that feat in Day 1 of the scrimmages between the U.S. Men?s Olympic team and the Select Team.

But in Day 2, Flagg was making an impact during scrimmages and showing why next season could be a tankathon among the league?s bottom-feeding franchises in the race to position themselves for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

In one sequence the media was allowed to see during the final 10 minutes of the scrimmage, Flagg ? listed at 6-foot-8 and slightly over 200 pounds ? stole the show as the Select Team was making a comeback against the NBA?s stars.

First, he calmly nailed a wing triple over Lakers star Anthony Davis? outstretched arms. Then, as Davis leaked out, Flagg disrupted the long pass and tracked back downcourt.

Following a missed shot, he swooped in with a tip and foul on Miami?s Bam Adebayo. It?s not like there are stats officially being kept, but that was a glimpse of what Duke is getting later in the fall, and what the NBA will look forward to, as the stands were filled with coaches and front office personnel.

Cooper Flagg has made quite the impression playing against LeBron James and the U.S. men's national team during scrimmages at the team's training camp in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
They were buzzing, not about the result, as the Olympic team escaped with a one-point win after Davis blocked Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski?s shot in the final seconds. But those who saw the whole thing were whispering about Flagg.

Olympic coach Steve Kerr isn?t allowed to talk about Flagg specifically due to draft rules, but he spoke highly of the Select Team?s performance as a whole. There was light concern about Flagg coming in and perhaps not being able to hang with the physicality of the game, but he answered that question resoundingly.

?I?m confident in my ability and my skill," Flagg said afterward. "So yeah, at the end of the day I?m confident in who I am and what I can do.?

Flagg won?t turn 18 until late December, so he wasn?t expected to dominate the day, and no one would say he was the best player on the floor ? after all, it?s not a stretch to say all 12 members of the Olympic team will make the Hall of Fame.

But there is some hope attached to him, and he probably knows it. Going into the year with the Duke pedigree will be one thing, but along with that will be the belief he could be the next American-born star to come down a pipeline that?s increasingly filled by foreign players.

As far as the first two days of camp, though, he was just playing ball. And doing it well.

?It?s some pressure ? I wouldn?t say pressure, kinda a surreal feeling to be able to share the court. I?m blessed to have this opportunity and to be here,? Flagg said. ?So just knowing I could go out here and compete, I kinda had no worries. I didn?t put no pressure on myself, just because I?m here for a reason. I?m confident, I was just playing ball.?

The Select Team seemed to be a worthy tune-up for the Olympic team, who?ll play an exhibition game against Canada on Wednesday night in Las Vegas. It?s almost a crash course in a way for the United States team ? a talented squad to be sure, but the countries they?re competing against have been working out and playing together for some time. Flagg doesn't seem to think that will matter for Team USA, however.

?They can be whatever team they wanna be. They have no weaknesses, no holes,? Flagg said. ?They can play any type of way and dominate. It?s just gonna be a dominant team that forces its will on everybody.?

But for the moment, or at least a few moments, Flagg planted himself among the game?s elite. He can carry that to Duke and beyond ? presumably even putting himself in the Olympic pipeline for the Americans.

The Select Team is usually filled with young players on rookie deals as opposed to the next tier of NBA stars, but plenty of players have gone from the Select Team to the Olympic team in one cycle of four years.

?It just adds confidence, continuing to get better and proving stuff,? Flagg said. ?Just seeing the success and going for what I know. I know I can do it, it just adds confidence.?

Although your posts are littered with hot takes that misfire  , you were all over Cooper from the start. Now the rest of the world is starting to catch up. What are the odds that a kid from Maine would have this much promise at age 17.

And, not just Maine, but Newport Maine.  It's not exactly a hotbed of basketball talent.  My daughter plays middle school basketball, and they played in the Nokomis gym.  It's wild to me that she played on the same court as Flagg.

I think I mentioned it before, but he's our Lebron.  There's not a ton of greatness that comes out of Penobscot County / the Bangor region.  We've got Stephen King, and now Flagg.

[Kernewek]

Offtopic nativist point of order - Stephen King might have lived in Bangor for a while, but he moved there as a student (and bought _the_ home there in the 80's iirc), so he's decidedly not from Penobscot County.


(is there a meaningful way to measure the comparative local impact from someone who moved somewhere in 1980 vs someone who was born there in 2007? Absolutely not, but it's the offseason.)

[Moranis]

I think you are from either where you grew up (and I generally consider that high school) or where your kids grow up.  So you can be from 2 places.  If you don't have kids, then you only get 1 option. 

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

All Cooper Flagg had to do was show he belonged on the floor with the NBA?s best. He accomplished that feat in Day 1 of the scrimmages between the U.S. Men?s Olympic team and the Select Team.

But in Day 2, Flagg was making an impact during scrimmages and showing why next season could be a tankathon among the league?s bottom-feeding franchises in the race to position themselves for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

In one sequence the media was allowed to see during the final 10 minutes of the scrimmage, Flagg ? listed at 6-foot-8 and slightly over 200 pounds ? stole the show as the Select Team was making a comeback against the NBA?s stars.

First, he calmly nailed a wing triple over Lakers star Anthony Davis? outstretched arms. Then, as Davis leaked out, Flagg disrupted the long pass and tracked back downcourt.

Following a missed shot, he swooped in with a tip and foul on Miami?s Bam Adebayo. It?s not like there are stats officially being kept, but that was a glimpse of what Duke is getting later in the fall, and what the NBA will look forward to, as the stands were filled with coaches and front office personnel.

Cooper Flagg has made quite the impression playing against LeBron James and the U.S. men's national team during scrimmages at the team's training camp in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
They were buzzing, not about the result, as the Olympic team escaped with a one-point win after Davis blocked Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski?s shot in the final seconds. But those who saw the whole thing were whispering about Flagg.

Olympic coach Steve Kerr isn?t allowed to talk about Flagg specifically due to draft rules, but he spoke highly of the Select Team?s performance as a whole. There was light concern about Flagg coming in and perhaps not being able to hang with the physicality of the game, but he answered that question resoundingly.

?I?m confident in my ability and my skill," Flagg said afterward. "So yeah, at the end of the day I?m confident in who I am and what I can do.?

Flagg won?t turn 18 until late December, so he wasn?t expected to dominate the day, and no one would say he was the best player on the floor ? after all, it?s not a stretch to say all 12 members of the Olympic team will make the Hall of Fame.

But there is some hope attached to him, and he probably knows it. Going into the year with the Duke pedigree will be one thing, but along with that will be the belief he could be the next American-born star to come down a pipeline that?s increasingly filled by foreign players.

As far as the first two days of camp, though, he was just playing ball. And doing it well.

?It?s some pressure ? I wouldn?t say pressure, kinda a surreal feeling to be able to share the court. I?m blessed to have this opportunity and to be here,? Flagg said. ?So just knowing I could go out here and compete, I kinda had no worries. I didn?t put no pressure on myself, just because I?m here for a reason. I?m confident, I was just playing ball.?

The Select Team seemed to be a worthy tune-up for the Olympic team, who?ll play an exhibition game against Canada on Wednesday night in Las Vegas. It?s almost a crash course in a way for the United States team ? a talented squad to be sure, but the countries they?re competing against have been working out and playing together for some time. Flagg doesn't seem to think that will matter for Team USA, however.

?They can be whatever team they wanna be. They have no weaknesses, no holes,? Flagg said. ?They can play any type of way and dominate. It?s just gonna be a dominant team that forces its will on everybody.?

But for the moment, or at least a few moments, Flagg planted himself among the game?s elite. He can carry that to Duke and beyond ? presumably even putting himself in the Olympic pipeline for the Americans.

The Select Team is usually filled with young players on rookie deals as opposed to the next tier of NBA stars, but plenty of players have gone from the Select Team to the Olympic team in one cycle of four years.

?It just adds confidence, continuing to get better and proving stuff,? Flagg said. ?Just seeing the success and going for what I know. I know I can do it, it just adds confidence.?

Although your posts are littered with hot takes that misfire  , you were all over Cooper from the start. Now the rest of the world is starting to catch up. What are the odds that a kid from Maine would have this much promise at age 17.

And, not just Maine, but Newport Maine.  It's not exactly a hotbed of basketball talent.  My daughter plays middle school basketball, and they played in the Nokomis gym.  It's wild to me that she played on the same court as Flagg.

I think I mentioned it before, but he's our Lebron.  There's not a ton of greatness that comes out of Penobscot County / the Bangor region.  We've got Stephen King, and now Flagg.

There's not a ton of greatness (athletically or otherwise) that comes out of Maine, period. I was born and raised in Maine and I love it there, but "famous people from Maine" is a pretty short list.

[bdm860]

And, not just Maine, but Newport Maine.  It's not exactly a hotbed of basketball talent.  My daughter plays middle school basketball, and they played in the Nokomis gym.  It's wild to me that she played on the same court as Flagg.

I think I mentioned it before, but he's our Lebron.  There's not a ton of greatness that comes out of Penobscot County / the Bangor region.  We've got Stephen King, and now Flagg.

Was there any animosity locally about him transferring out of state to Montverde Academy in Florida to finish out his high school career?

Not like I expect him to go to University of Maine, but transferring out for high school seems like it could damper some of the local vibe. 

Does LeBron, the kid from Akron, have the same charm if he left St. Vincent-St. Mary to go to Montverde, Oak Hill, or someplace like that?

[Kernewek]

All Cooper Flagg had to do was show he belonged on the floor with the NBA?s best. He accomplished that feat in Day 1 of the scrimmages between the U.S. Men?s Olympic team and the Select Team.

But in Day 2, Flagg was making an impact during scrimmages and showing why next season could be a tankathon among the league?s bottom-feeding franchises in the race to position themselves for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

In one sequence the media was allowed to see during the final 10 minutes of the scrimmage, Flagg ? listed at 6-foot-8 and slightly over 200 pounds ? stole the show as the Select Team was making a comeback against the NBA?s stars.

First, he calmly nailed a wing triple over Lakers star Anthony Davis? outstretched arms. Then, as Davis leaked out, Flagg disrupted the long pass and tracked back downcourt.

Following a missed shot, he swooped in with a tip and foul on Miami?s Bam Adebayo. It?s not like there are stats officially being kept, but that was a glimpse of what Duke is getting later in the fall, and what the NBA will look forward to, as the stands were filled with coaches and front office personnel.

Cooper Flagg has made quite the impression playing against LeBron James and the U.S. men's national team during scrimmages at the team's training camp in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
They were buzzing, not about the result, as the Olympic team escaped with a one-point win after Davis blocked Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski?s shot in the final seconds. But those who saw the whole thing were whispering about Flagg.

Olympic coach Steve Kerr isn?t allowed to talk about Flagg specifically due to draft rules, but he spoke highly of the Select Team?s performance as a whole. There was light concern about Flagg coming in and perhaps not being able to hang with the physicality of the game, but he answered that question resoundingly.

?I?m confident in my ability and my skill," Flagg said afterward. "So yeah, at the end of the day I?m confident in who I am and what I can do.?

Flagg won?t turn 18 until late December, so he wasn?t expected to dominate the day, and no one would say he was the best player on the floor ? after all, it?s not a stretch to say all 12 members of the Olympic team will make the Hall of Fame.

But there is some hope attached to him, and he probably knows it. Going into the year with the Duke pedigree will be one thing, but along with that will be the belief he could be the next American-born star to come down a pipeline that?s increasingly filled by foreign players.

As far as the first two days of camp, though, he was just playing ball. And doing it well.

?It?s some pressure ? I wouldn?t say pressure, kinda a surreal feeling to be able to share the court. I?m blessed to have this opportunity and to be here,? Flagg said. ?So just knowing I could go out here and compete, I kinda had no worries. I didn?t put no pressure on myself, just because I?m here for a reason. I?m confident, I was just playing ball.?

The Select Team seemed to be a worthy tune-up for the Olympic team, who?ll play an exhibition game against Canada on Wednesday night in Las Vegas. It?s almost a crash course in a way for the United States team ? a talented squad to be sure, but the countries they?re competing against have been working out and playing together for some time. Flagg doesn't seem to think that will matter for Team USA, however.

?They can be whatever team they wanna be. They have no weaknesses, no holes,? Flagg said. ?They can play any type of way and dominate. It?s just gonna be a dominant team that forces its will on everybody.?

But for the moment, or at least a few moments, Flagg planted himself among the game?s elite. He can carry that to Duke and beyond ? presumably even putting himself in the Olympic pipeline for the Americans.

The Select Team is usually filled with young players on rookie deals as opposed to the next tier of NBA stars, but plenty of players have gone from the Select Team to the Olympic team in one cycle of four years.

?It just adds confidence, continuing to get better and proving stuff,? Flagg said. ?Just seeing the success and going for what I know. I know I can do it, it just adds confidence.?

Although your posts are littered with hot takes that misfire  , you were all over Cooper from the start. Now the rest of the world is starting to catch up. What are the odds that a kid from Maine would have this much promise at age 17.

And, not just Maine, but Newport Maine.  It's not exactly a hotbed of basketball talent.  My daughter plays middle school basketball, and they played in the Nokomis gym.  It's wild to me that she played on the same court as Flagg.

I think I mentioned it before, but he's our Lebron.  There's not a ton of greatness that comes out of Penobscot County / the Bangor region.  We've got Stephen King, and now Flagg.

There's not a ton of greatness (athletically or otherwise) that comes out of Maine, period. I was born and raised in Maine and I love it there, but "famous people from Maine" is a pretty short list.

I'd maybe argue we should include ourselves and other excellent exports by drawing a line between famous and greatness, but it's always been a small state with a smaller native population. Is what it is.

Relatedly: I find Cooper's 'modern day NBA athlete' accent slightly sad, but unsurprising.

[radiohead]

With all the news coming out that the Lakers weren?t seriously going after top free agents, could it be JJ and Rob?s masterplan to tank the upcoming season and get a shot at Cooper Flagg?

[Donoghus]

With all the news coming out that the Lakers weren?t seriously going after top free agents, could it be JJ and Rob?s masterplan to tank the upcoming season and get a shot at Cooper Flagg?

I think the Pelicans have that pick, don't they?

[Celtics2021]

With all the news coming out that the Lakers weren?t seriously going after top free agents, could it be JJ and Rob?s masterplan to tank the upcoming season and get a shot at Cooper Flagg?

I think the Pelicans have that pick, don't they?

They do indeed.

[Roy H.]

Offtopic nativist point of order - Stephen King might have lived in Bangor for a while, but he moved there as a student (and bought _the_ home there in the 80's iirc), so he's decidedly not from Penobscot County.


(is there a meaningful way to measure the comparative local impact from someone who moved somewhere in 1980 vs someone who was born there in 2007? Absolutely not, but it's the offseason.)

Notice I said "comes out of", haha.   King went to school, lived, and worked in Penobscot County for most of his adult life.  So, he's ours, lol.

Was there any animosity locally about him transferring out of state to Montverde Academy in Florida to finish out his high school career?

Not like I expect him to go to University of Maine, but transferring out for high school seems like it could damper some of the local vibe.

Does LeBron, the kid from Akron, have the same charm if he left St. Vincent-St. Mary to go to Montverde, Oak Hill, or someplace like that?

I haven't seen any animosity or blowback.  I think people understand that leaving the state was part of him reaching his potential.  We just don't have the high level private schools that compete on the national level.  We've had some players play at MCI (Caron Butler, etc.) but I don't think they're ranked nationally, or play the schedule that would be required.

His high school team played a tournament in Portland, and tickets sold out in seconds.  He's got strong local backing.

[Roy H.]

[mef730]

Flagg has been pretty open about playing for the C's eventually.  That could be interesting in a few years.

Maybe he pulls a Bronny James and tells all other teams he?ll play in Australia if they draft him. 😂

Headline tomorrow: "Celtics sign Cooper Flagg's father for its 15th roster spot."

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

All Cooper Flagg had to do was show he belonged on the floor with the NBA?s best. He accomplished that feat in Day 1 of the scrimmages between the U.S. Men?s Olympic team and the Select Team.

But in Day 2, Flagg was making an impact during scrimmages and showing why next season could be a tankathon among the league?s bottom-feeding franchises in the race to position themselves for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

In one sequence the media was allowed to see during the final 10 minutes of the scrimmage, Flagg ? listed at 6-foot-8 and slightly over 200 pounds ? stole the show as the Select Team was making a comeback against the NBA?s stars.

First, he calmly nailed a wing triple over Lakers star Anthony Davis? outstretched arms. Then, as Davis leaked out, Flagg disrupted the long pass and tracked back downcourt.

Following a missed shot, he swooped in with a tip and foul on Miami?s Bam Adebayo. It?s not like there are stats officially being kept, but that was a glimpse of what Duke is getting later in the fall, and what the NBA will look forward to, as the stands were filled with coaches and front office personnel.

Cooper Flagg has made quite the impression playing against LeBron James and the U.S. men's national team during scrimmages at the team's training camp in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
They were buzzing, not about the result, as the Olympic team escaped with a one-point win after Davis blocked Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski?s shot in the final seconds. But those who saw the whole thing were whispering about Flagg.

Olympic coach Steve Kerr isn?t allowed to talk about Flagg specifically due to draft rules, but he spoke highly of the Select Team?s performance as a whole. There was light concern about Flagg coming in and perhaps not being able to hang with the physicality of the game, but he answered that question resoundingly.

?I?m confident in my ability and my skill," Flagg said afterward. "So yeah, at the end of the day I?m confident in who I am and what I can do.?

Flagg won?t turn 18 until late December, so he wasn?t expected to dominate the day, and no one would say he was the best player on the floor ? after all, it?s not a stretch to say all 12 members of the Olympic team will make the Hall of Fame.

But there is some hope attached to him, and he probably knows it. Going into the year with the Duke pedigree will be one thing, but along with that will be the belief he could be the next American-born star to come down a pipeline that?s increasingly filled by foreign players.

As far as the first two days of camp, though, he was just playing ball. And doing it well.

?It?s some pressure ? I wouldn?t say pressure, kinda a surreal feeling to be able to share the court. I?m blessed to have this opportunity and to be here,? Flagg said. ?So just knowing I could go out here and compete, I kinda had no worries. I didn?t put no pressure on myself, just because I?m here for a reason. I?m confident, I was just playing ball.?

The Select Team seemed to be a worthy tune-up for the Olympic team, who?ll play an exhibition game against Canada on Wednesday night in Las Vegas. It?s almost a crash course in a way for the United States team ? a talented squad to be sure, but the countries they?re competing against have been working out and playing together for some time. Flagg doesn't seem to think that will matter for Team USA, however.

?They can be whatever team they wanna be. They have no weaknesses, no holes,? Flagg said. ?They can play any type of way and dominate. It?s just gonna be a dominant team that forces its will on everybody.?

But for the moment, or at least a few moments, Flagg planted himself among the game?s elite. He can carry that to Duke and beyond ? presumably even putting himself in the Olympic pipeline for the Americans.

The Select Team is usually filled with young players on rookie deals as opposed to the next tier of NBA stars, but plenty of players have gone from the Select Team to the Olympic team in one cycle of four years.

?It just adds confidence, continuing to get better and proving stuff,? Flagg said. ?Just seeing the success and going for what I know. I know I can do it, it just adds confidence.?

Although your posts are littered with hot takes that misfire  , you were all over Cooper from the start. Now the rest of the world is starting to catch up. What are the odds that a kid from Maine would have this much promise at age 17.

And, not just Maine, but Newport Maine.  It's not exactly a hotbed of basketball talent.  My daughter plays middle school basketball, and they played in the Nokomis gym.  It's wild to me that she played on the same court as Flagg.

I think I mentioned it before, but he's our Lebron.  There's not a ton of greatness that comes out of Penobscot County / the Bangor region.  We've got Stephen King, and now Flagg.

There's not a ton of greatness (athletically or otherwise) that comes out of Maine, period. I was born and raised in Maine and I love it there, but "famous people from Maine" is a pretty short list.

I'd maybe argue we should include ourselves and other excellent exports by drawing a line between famous and greatness, but it's always been a small state with a smaller native population. Is what it is.

Relatedly: I find Cooper's 'modern day NBA athlete' accent slightly sad, but unsurprising.

You're right, there's some distinction between "famous" and "greatness." And I've never had a problem with Maine's relative anonymity; that's part of its charm, IMO.

[Moranis]

Not that thus has anything to do with Flagg, but the birth stuff got me thinking about players from a place and I'm not sure there is a greater basketball city than Akron. At least on a pure talent standpoint. Everyone knows Lebron (and now Bronny, ha), but there has been a lot of talent coming out of Akron, a city of less than 200,000 people.

HOFers - Steph Curry, Lebron James, Nate Thurmond
All Stars - Gus Johnson, Steve Johnson, Chuck Noble
Champion - Chuck Share
1st Round Pick - Jerome Lane
Multi-year players - JaKarr Sampson, Bill Turner
Active Players - Larry Nance Jr, Malaki Branham, Chris Livingston, Bronny James

You can put together a pretty darn good all time team with that group.