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Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg’s first practice gets honest Klay Thompson verdict
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- Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg’s first practice gets honest Klay Thompson verdict
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The post Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg's first practice gets honest Klay Thompson verdict appeared first on ClutchPoints .
All eyes will be on highly touted rookie Cooper Flagg when he makes his debut for the Dallas Mavericks . The first overall pick will be eager to prove that he belongs in the NBA and make an immediate impact for the Mavericks , who are entering their first full run in the post-Luka Doncic era.
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On Tuesday, the Mavericks opened their training camp, and Flagg was ready to be a sponge and soak up everything he could to help him prepare for the upcoming season.
His efforts didn't go unnoticed among his teammates, particularly Klay Thompson , who gave a glowing review of the 18-year-old forward's first practice.
"Cooper did great. I'm most impressed that he did not sit out one drill. I don't care how many shots he misses or how many mistakes he makes. The fact that he's in there and he's competing every single drill, that's what impresses me," said the 35-year-old Thompson in a video posted by The Dallas Morning News' Mike Curtis.
Cooper and Thompson may see a lot of minutes alongside each other, and it's good to see that the veteran is already supporting the newcomer instead of seeing him as a threat to his playing time.
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With Kyrie Irving still out with an ACL injury, they will be expected to carry some of the offensive burden with Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell. Flagg is also a decent defender with his size and length, and he can definitely learn how to be an efficient two-way player from Thompson.
Cooper first turned heads in high school in Florida before leading Duke to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in his lone season. He was also named to the Select Team that helped Team USA prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
It's clear that Flagg has the talent, but as Thompson pointed out, it's his work ethic that will help him be successful in such a cutthroat league as the NBA.
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