Flaggs Best Fits

With the 2^nd round of the NSL playoffs on the horizon, so too is another polarizing NSL event.  This year, the NSL lottery means a bit more.  After a “down” draft year, teams are once again chomping at the bit to see their teams name in the #1 selection spot, and for good reason.  Cooper Flagg is the NBA’s top prospect, who many teams feel will come into the league as a difference maker early, with a chance to be a generational type player.  Flaggs combination of length, strength, athleticism, and polish has every team in the league hoping to have a shot at bringing him into their squad.  Though this year, unlike last, the team who earns those rights in the lottery, is unlikely to even consider moving the pick.  Within this article we will profile Flaggs best fits amongst the lottery inclusive teams. 

1)       Portland

Although Portland does not own the rights to a projected top 3 selection, they do own 5 picks in the NSL lottery(currently).  With the highest projected pick slotting in at #4, the Blazers appear as high of chance as any team in owning the rights to the #1 pick.  In Portland, Flagg would immediately profile as a top 2, or top 3 offensive threat, while providing solid defense at the wing spot.  He’d be a great young partner to the blossoming Jaden Ivey, who has a similar timeline age wise, along with young guard Anthony Black.  The back court would be solved with 3 high potential young players, and the PF position in a decent enough spot with Flagg and Keegan Murray able to provide some minutes there.  Portland would still be looking to lock down their big man of the future, and maybe they do that within this draft with multiple other selections still available.  In Portland Flagg would have the best opportunity to showcase his skillset early on.

2)       Brooklyn

Brooklyn had a bit of an interesting season.  They began the season as a team that many picked as a potential surprise team in the Eastern Conference.  A team that many had picked for a chance, albeit slim, to be a real player out East.  Injuries derailed the team, and the team made its first major changes in some time by bringing in Zach Lavine, and sending out Jamaal Murray, amongst a couple of other moves, including bringing in big man Nikola Vucevic.  The team played much better after their return to health.  In Brooklyn, Flagg would find a strong mix of playability and potential to succeed.  A starting 5 of Lavine, Ingram, Flagg, Portis/Williams, Vuc/Lively profiles as a team with a fighting chance of post season basketball out East.  Forgive me if you’d heard this before, but this time, with Flagg in place, I personally believe would be the real deal.  Flagg would be allowed to “dip his toe in the water” if you will, by being a 3^rd, 4^th, or even 5^th option in the offense, while providing some much-needed defense.  Brooklyn provides a unique blend of available minutes, with a real route to contention early on in Flaggs NSL career. 

3)       Dallas

Dallas could really use an ascension to the #1 overall spot.  While the team has Mark Williams, and a few other useful pieces, Dallas lacks a true star.  Flagg could become that guy, especially given the role he’d be asked to play early on in his Dallas career.  Instead of fighting Jaden Ivey, Brad Beal, Zach Lavine, or Brandon Ingram for shot attempts, in Dallas Flagg could potentially be handed the keys in year 1.  Miles Bridges, Mark Williams, and Devin Vassell are all solid, starting level NSL players, but none of them are able to create much for themselves.  In this alignment, the hope would be to see Flagg continue to grow his creation and scoring chops.  Taking a 1A or 1B scoring position in a Mavericks team that sorely needs a creator and scorer to encourage their fans.  While Dallas would be the team to offer Flagg the largest role, they are perhaps not the team best positioned to offer him postseason experience, and hence, their positioning here at #3. 

4)       New York

The Knicks profile as an interesting fit for Flagg.  They’ve got a group of guys who showed some real improvement as the season went on, an especially encouraging sign given the median age of the team (near the youngest in the league).  With Giddey’s impending availability at the point guard position, Flagg would likely be able to slot into the starting lineup, if Smokey chose to do so.  A starting lineup of Giddey, Barrett, Flagg, McDaniels, and Allen is a highly enticing starting 5.  Sure, they might not average 120 points, but you could almost assure that their opponents wouldn’t either.  In NY, Flagg would slot in as the likely 3^rd option, where he could continue to grow his offensive skillset, while providing a ton of value on the defensive end.  In the unfortunate scenario Giddey or Barrett was injured, Flagg could likely step into a higher priority on offense.  The Knicks are still young, and perhaps need some additional seasoning, hence their spot here at #4.  While they could offer Flagg a starting gig, I am not sure they’d be a team pegged for much higher than a play-in spot, even with his acquisition. 

5)       Atlanta

The Hawks really wanted the opportunity to add Flagg to their team, as evident by their mid-season trade to re-acquire their pick for this season.  Sure, it had a very marginal protection on it, and Flagg won’t get past pick #1, but this was seen as a positive development for Atlanta from most across the league as it guaranteed them yet another opportunity to draft a cornerstone into a team that is arguably without 1.  In Atlanta, Flagg would immediately slot into the starting SF or PF spot, where he’d share the floor with some talented guards, including Quickley and Desmond Bane.  Flagg would as a result, likely only be considered the 3^rd, or perhaps 2B option if IQ chose to focus his game on playmaking vs scoring.  Coby White also predicts to factor into a major scoring role for the team, so long story short, Flagg would not be rushed into doing it all himself on the offensive end.  However, on defense he would likely be asked to guard a leading scorer in a team that doesn’t have any high-level perimeter defenders.  Atlanta surged late last season, with major growth from big men Donovan Clingan and Alex Sarr.  A front court trio of Flagg, Sarr, and Clingan would terrorize opposing offenses for years to come.  Even though Atlanta made a late surge last year, I can’t help but look at the team on paper, even with the acquisition of Flagg, and still thinking, perhaps this is a play-in team?  They will still lack the true offensive star power of a top guard or forward, and traditionally, that recipe does not bode well for NSL contention.   So, while he would fit in well for the team, and their future aspirations, it’s hard to see an immediate route to guaranteed playoff basketball without a move for a star guard or forward to carry the team on the offensive end.

Other Lottery Teams:

The Clippers have a 14% chance at this pick, and they should be profiled.  I left them out of my top 5 mostly due to roster makeup.  With the Clippers Flagg would only fit in as the 3^rd best at his position.  Paolo Banchero and Jalen Williams are the cornerstones of the Clippers team, and are unlikely to secede their status as starters any time soon.  Flagg on the bench is not the start to a career that he, or the league envisions for the young budding star. Memphis is also led by a star small forward in Jalen Brown.  The Grizz do deserve an honorable mention, as I recognize the possibility of an exciting rebuild should they jump the lottery to #1 for the rights to Flagg.  With Flagg, Castle, and Edey on board, along with JJJ who is not yet 26, the writing may be on the wall for Brown, Adebayo, and anyone else who’s in the prime of their careers.  It’d be an exciting trio of young talent that showed a lot of promise last year, and would give Grizz fans something to be hopeful for in the coming years.  Lastly, Miami is the lone playoff team with a shot, actually 2 shots at landing the rights to Flagg in the NSL draft lottery.  In Miami Flagg would profile as a 3^rd or 4^th option on a team that has always coveted a player of Flaggs skillset.  He’d seamlessly fit into the defensive minded approach of GM Pistol and give the Heat a true young star to fit the timelines of Ware and Dillingham.  Though unlikely to hit the reset after their best finish in some time, the Heat would possess a truly polarizing cache of young talent. 

All in all, any team who wins the right to draft Cooper Flagg will be overjoyed with the opportunity to bring in the leagues youngest potential star.  He’s one of the rare guys who can fit into just about any roster and provide impactful minutes from day 1.  Best of luck to all GM’s in the race!