Incoming Duke University freshman Cooper Flagg showed what he could bring to the table once he declares for the NBA Draft by putting up a solid showing against Team USA, made up of NBA superstars, in a tune-up game ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Flagg, projected to headline next year’s draft, was named into Team USA Select, a group of up-and-coming players who could be considered for the national team’s first squad in future events. Even with no NBA experience, the incoming college kid stood out with his game highlights going viral on social media.
Joining Flagg in Team USA Select this year are NBA young guns Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jalen Suggs, and Amen Thompson, among others.
However, when asked who he considers his favorite Team USA Select comrade, Flagg neither answered any of the aforementioned names, all former NBA first-round picks and made a surprising choice.
“I’d probably say Brandin Podziemski from the [Golden State] Warriors,” Flagg said in a recent interview. “He plays at such a good pace and just plays the right way.”
“He plays at such a good pace and he just plays the right way.”
Cooper Flagg says Brandin Podziemski was his favorite teammate on the USA Select Team to play with pic.twitter.com/MEd3rDt8wW
— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) July 12, 2024
Choosing Podziemski could be a good one since after all he is mentored in Golden State by Steve Kerr, who is also Team USA’s head coach.
This means that “Podz” already knows how Kerr’s system, which earned the Warriors four NBA titles, runs so he can share some ideas with his teammates on how to play through it and counter it.
Cooper Flagg’s favorite teammate Brandin Podziemski doing well in NBA Summer League
Podziemski is now back with Golden State quickly after the tune-up game with Team USA and is currently playing for the Warriors’ NBA Summer League team that competes in the California Classic.
The 21-year-old combo guard struggled a bit for the Warriors in their home stand against the Sacramento Kings 2 on Thursday night at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Podziemski, the 19th pick of last year’s draft, only tallied 15 points on 4-for-13 field goals, including a dismal 1-for-6 showing from long range, while also committing three turnovers.
However, he shot the game-winning free throw to give Golden State a 91-90 victory over Sacramento 2.
Kevin Knox led the Warriors with 19 points on an impressive 6-of-8 shooting off the bench, while Ethan Thompson had 13.
Podziemski is using both his Team USA Select and NBA Summer League experience to gain more wisdom as he braces for a bigger role with Golden State.
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