ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas joined Shan, RJ and Bobby to discuss how stunned he was that the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Lottery and have the right to draft Duke star forward Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick.
Bilas, who played for and coached alongside legendary Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, and is now a fixture on ESPN's College Game Day, was asked if Flagg should be considered a 'sure thing'?
"Flagg is the modern chess piece in a basketball game," said Bilas on 105.3 The Fan. "There's nothing he can't do on the offensive end. He's got size, skill, unbelievable basketball IQ. And then he impacts the game in a big way on the defensive end, as well, with his defensive versatility, blocking shots, getting steals. He's got a desire to get better every day. ... His competitive nature is on the highest tier of players I've seen at this age.
"He's the best freshman Duke's ever had. To me, it's not a close call to say that. It doesn't mean there weren't others who were right there with him, or that far off. But, to me, I can say that without reservation. He just turned 18 in December. It's absurd what he's capable of doing at this age. I'm not saying he's going to better than Grant Hill, Kyrie Irving, or Jayson Tatum, but at that age, they weren't as good as him. I don't see anything that would limit him from being a truly great player in the NBA for a long time, as long as he stays healthy."
How will Flagg fit in Dallas? Does Bilas buy into the lottery rigging conspiracies?
Listen to the discussion in the podcast above