Cooper Flagg already showing leadership qualities

Cooper Flagg is not your prototypical No. 1 overall pick in the NBA.

During his one-and-done season at Duke, he attempted 13.4 shots per game while contributing to wins with his defense and playmaking. In contrast, other recent No. 1 picks such as Victor Wembanyama (15.9), Cade Cunningham (14.9) and Anthony Edwards (15.8) were a lot more aggressive in scoring the ball during their stops before the NBA.

Flagg plans to continue with his unselfish playing style in the pros. In his first two preseason games with the Dallas Mavericks, he attempted a total of 14 shots in 38 minutes of action, while wreaking havoc defensively and showing off his versatility as a playmaker. 

Cooper Flagg, the young leader

In Saturday's game against the Charlotte Hornets, he had four assists and three steals, including a terrific lob to veteran star Anthony Davis. After the game, Flagg revealed he made a concerted effort to find Davis as much as possible, as doing so would help the team going forward.

"I gotta find ways to help AD more, play off him a little better," Flagg said, via Mavs beat writer Landon Thomas. "Help him impact the game when he's posting up, getting his ISOs. So I gotta find a way to help him a little bit more but I think it's been huge trying to fit together."

The comments reinforced the claim of several NBA scouts that Flagg is a team-first player who influences games beyond just scoring.