"He did not sit out one drill": Klay Thompson can't stop raving about Cooper Flagg's limitless commitment in first Mavericks pracitce

NBA: Dallas Mavericks-Media Day - Source: Imagn
Cooper Flagg is making a good impression - Source: Imagn

The basketball gods didn't wait long to reward the Dallas Mavericks. They replaced one generational talent with the other right away, drafting Duke star Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick.

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Flagg had an up-and-down Summer League, but the talent is undeniable. And given his rare combination of size, defense, and shooting, he looks like the perfect frontcourt complement to Anthony Davis.

However, more than his skills, what has impressed his teammates the most is his work ethic. When asked about him, Klay Thompson tipped his hat to him for competing incredibly hard on every single drill:

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“Cooper did great. I’m most impressed he did not sit out one drill. I don’t care how many shots he misses, how many mistakes he makes. The fact that he’s in there and he’s competing every single drill, that’s what impresses me,” Thompson said.

Flagg has been in the spotlight for years now, but he continues to work as hard as if he were trying to make the team. That was one of the things that stood out the most during his days in Durham.

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He might be the No. 1 pick, but talent and god-given traits can only take you so far in the pros, and he knows that.

Jason Kidd doesn't commit to starting Cooper Flagg

Nevertheless, as NBA-ready as he may be, Jason Kidd doesn't want to make any promises.

When asked about Flagg as a starter, the Mavericks coach said he would likely wait until opening night before announcing a lineup:

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“There is not a (set) starting lineup,” Kidd said, per The Athletic. “This is going to be a competition. We are going to embrace the competition. That will figure itself out come Oct. 22.”

Of course, it's not like he's going to say anything different, and chances are that Flagg will be out there alongside D'Angelo Russell, Thompson, Davis, and fellow Duke star Dereck Lively II.

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Even so, he's doing the right thing by letting Flagg know that there will be no handouts, and it doesn't matter if he led the Blue Devils in all stats last season; he will still have to earn his stripes in the league just like everybody else.

Flagg has all the tools to be one of the best players on Earth just a couple of years from now, and while there will be speed bumps along the way, it will be exciting to watch his journey.

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Edited by Ernesto Cova
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