NBA – Projected as the 1st pick, Cooper Flagg’s transformation shocks the US before the Draft!

Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif

Barring an unlikely turn of events, Cooper Flagg should be selected with the first pick of the upcoming Draft. This seems all the more inevitable since the announcement of his measurements, which have changed dramatically in the space of a year.

Despite two crucial playoff games, it was another event that captured the attention of NBA fans in recent hours. The traditional Draft Lottery took place on Monday, and its main purpose was to decide which team would get the coveted first pick. It has to be said that the prospect concerned, a certain Cooper Flagg, is the subject of many fantasies within the league.

Cooper Flagg metamorphosed, Americans go wild

The author of a historic freshman season on many NCAA floors, Flagg should, barring catastrophe, be the first player selected in the Draft. It remains to be seen whether the Mavericks, who received the first pick and thus fueled the conspiracy theories, will seize this opportunity. In the meantime, it’s the young winger’s measurements that have got people talking, starting with ESPN’s Jonathan Givony:

Jonathan Givony: Cooper Flagg’s official measurements from the NBA Draft Combine: 6’7 ¾ barefoot, 221 lbs, with a 7’0” wingspan and 8’10 ½” standing reach. Flagg grew nearly an inch in the past year, while adding 12 pounds.

All data that makes scouts salivate all the more.

In all likelihood, Flagg will reach 6ft9 with shoes, the same height as LeBron James, Bam Adebayo or Naz Reid. And that’s without taking into account any further growth, since he hasn’t even celebrated his 19th birthday yet. In addition to his height, his weight has also caused a stir on social networks, where Internet users are very optimistic about him:

@Veganhippo21: Solid. Very solid indeed. With his basketball IQ and vertical leap, that’s fire.

@Sharcm1: And to think he could still grow up, he’s only 18!

@slouvakis: Those 220 pounds will make all the difference, for sure.

@2nd_take_sports: Putting on that much weight while playing every minute with Duke and running his team’s entire offense means he’s been spending his time in the weight room. One hell of a bright spot for the future

@Gregisonfire: The league is in trouble

Currently sporting a physique similar to Kyle Kuzma’s, the Duke product should continue to develop him during his first few years in the league. An omen that won’t reassure his future opponents, who have already witnessed his exploits and talent during his university career.