June 26, 2025 • 21 mins
“If Michael Jordan and LeBron James fought, who’s walking away—and who’s getting their soul dunked on?”That’s just one of the many wild, and thought-provoking moments in this electric episode of The Ben and Skin Show, as Ben Rogers, Jeff “Skin” Wade, Kevin “KT” Turner, and Krystina Ray broadcast live from the American Airlines Center on the most pivotal night in recent Mavericks history: NBA Draft Night.With the Dallas Mavericks holding the #1 pick, the crew dives deep into the arrival of Cooper Flagg, the generational talent who’s about to change everything. From his killer mentality—“He wants to rip your heart out and step on it with his New Balance shoes”—to his elite two-way game, the team breaks down why Flagg isn’t just a great pick… he might be the future face of the NBA.Ted Emrich’s vivid breakdown of Flagg’s high school dominance and McDonald’s All-American takeover.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Draft Day. The NBA Draft is tonight. Your Dallas Mavericks
have the number one pick. Cooper Flag will soon be
a Dallas Maverick will go number one in this bad
Boy and it is very very exciting, a shot in
the arm for this franchise. All Dallas Mavericks basketball games
can be heard right here on ninety seven point one
The Eagle, and our draft coverage today is brought to
you by k Post Company. They've did the roof at
(00:21):
the AAC Globe Life Field in AT and T Stadium
as well roofing, waterproofing, solar solutions. They're really really good
at all that stuff. Big ups to Nick and k
Post Company for sponsoring this. Really really appreciate that. Now
our coverage will be live three to six with no
music from the AAC. That's where we are now, and
at six o'clock we will turn things over to the
MAVs television broadcast. We'll have a simulcast of their draft coverage,
(00:45):
which is going to be exceptional, and skin Weight will
be on that. We're gonna talk MAVs basketball. We'll get
in some other things throughout the day, but right now
it's time for this.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Now, around the sports k Twins as all.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
The sports listening live one on the iHeartRadio app. Please
stand up for ted.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
There's no cameras here. What am I doing? What's going on?
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Guys?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Did I just miss Dragula by Rob Zombie or what
we got?
Speaker 4 (01:25):
What we got coming up?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Music for you today? Okay? During our show and then
during the drafts yeah, no.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Rob Zombie later after Celebrate. Are you taking over at nine? Yes?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
All right, Christine will be playing to rot Tommy Teddy
is making the request welcome to our show.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
No, I appreciate it, skin man. Looking forward to tonight
with you and follow well and great to be here
with you.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Guys.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
This is man.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
We felt all the emotions right since February first, and
I'm starting to feel hope.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Like because of this player.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Man, please please say that tonight.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Man.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
I was so fortunate that I got to see Cooper
flag a bunch when he was in high school at
Montvert Academy. Tell us about doing the the high school
package on ESPN.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
It's all about recruiting.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
You're seeing these guys before they become these household names.
So got to see Zion Williamson at his senior night
in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in a little bandbox of a gym.
You know, got to see RJ. Barrett and this guy
and that guy like there is. In my seven eight
years of doing that for ESPN, there is nobody that
(02:44):
has struck me like Cooper Flag like there is. He
is a killer. He is an absolute killer. He wants
to rip your heart out, he wants to take a
bite of it. He wants to then step on it
with his new balanced shoes and then leave a train
of blood and his weight.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
This is who he is, this perfect first dation that
plays rob Zombies.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yes, okay, you that is an unbelievably vivid painting a
portrait that you just paid it for.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
So but I want to know more about Now, why
do you say that? Is this a guy who uh is?
You're never gonna worry about his energy. You're not gonna
have to worry about how already's trying. He's like, what
is it that makes you think that?
Speaker 4 (03:28):
It's what I saw?
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Ben I And again, no matter the level of competition,
whether it was set the scene right, Montvert Academy, it's
just outside of Orlando. He transferred there from his tiny
school up in Maine because he wanted to follow the
likes of Cad Cunningham and Scottie Barnes and RJ. Barrett
and Ben Simmons and Angela y go there to his
(03:52):
sophomore year. His sophomore year, and then he reclassified. He
jumped up and all of a sudden, he was a
senior in the class of twenty twenty four.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Did he not win Mister Basketball as a freshman in
the state of Maine?
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Like, did they win? He's a freshman and again, it's.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Maine, right, it's Maine. But people took notice in that summer.
After that freshman season, he transfers to Montfort because he realized,
I have to go somewhere where they play a national
schedule where it's like college in high school, in training, nutrition,
all of that, the travel, and so that we saw
(04:27):
that he was on our air in Springfield, Massachusetts at
the Whopaul Classic. He was on our air in Indianapolis
at Geico Nationals, the Big March Madness style high school
tournament that's every year the week of the Final Four
on ESPN.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
He impacts the game without scoring.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
It's at both ends and to your point, bent the energy,
it's it's something that can be taken for granted so easily,
like that growing up, like, yeah, of course you're supposed
to play hard. It's funny how that's become a skill,
and yet nobody plays as hard as Cooper Flag does.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
That's that whole thing though, where I mean, look, there's
all these talented guys, but there it can be.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
I think it's mostly genetic.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
But the idea where they say the guy's a dog,
like we hear that in sports all the time, but
that means something different to the guys that actually play
or the guys that coach. There is this inate ability
and it's you know, we joke about it on the
air as the three dogs one bone. There's three dogs
and one dog is gonna get that bone. And if
it's the same dog every time, that differentiates him from
(05:39):
all the it's King Charles, right, And that's the name
of that dog that shows the dog though you know
about King Charles whoa ben we'll share some videos with
you later that dog that runs the yard named King Charles.
But if the same dog gets the bone every time,
that's a dog, right, And that's what you know, you
(05:59):
say you've seen as you called his games in high school,
and I hear his peers and I hear the guys
that have been doing this.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
They all say the same thing about him.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Can I'll tell you a quick story from the McDonald's
All American game that we did. It was in Houston
the year he was a senior, so April of last year,
twenty twenty four. It's funny to think it was only
that long ago and here we are a year later
and he's coming here. We got a chance to sit
down with all the top ranked guys in one room
(06:28):
the day before the game, and it's a lot of
guys that are going to hear their names called early,
just like Cooper Flag here tonight.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
It was ten years ago.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
This is last year, the end of their senior year,
so before they go to college.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
We're talking about Flag.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Yeah, we're talking about Dylan Harper, vj Edgecombe, Trey Johnson,
Ace Bailey.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
So like the top five guys in the class.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
If you will, and you like to feel him out,
it's me and it's Corey Alexander if am NBA player
fromer Spur. You know ESPN analyst Paul Biancrdi who does
all the rankings, the director of recruiting for ESPN, and
he liked to feel him out, kind of get to
know him a little bit. And we ask him, so,
how is is this going to be a game tomorrow?
(07:10):
Because the McDonald's All American Game, it's much like the
NBA All Star Game.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
It's it just devolves into a bunch of one on one.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Nobody plays defense and Cooper Flag cuts everybody else off
and he says, oh, it's gonna be a game.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Oh, let's go really, and let's like everyone fell in line.
And it was not one twenty one to one nineteen.
The next day it was eighty eight to eighty six.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Cooper Flag is making play, I mean he sent one
into the fifth row, you know, against Dylan Harper. On
the other side, he makes a play against Harper in
the final minute, forcing a turnover. Cooper Flag just wins.
He is a that that is his greatest skill.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I want to tell you guys a quick story of
what this reminds me of, because I do think I
think it's an innate quality and and like not to
not to go too far off the path, but you know,
the whole Lebron James Michael Jordan, who's a goat or whatever.
The thing that I've always said about that is, well,
I don't know. I just know if those two guys fought,
Michael Jordan would rip Lebron's bone out of his body
(08:13):
and kill him with it. Right, So you can whatever
you want. I'm just saying to the thing that separates
those two guys is one guy wants to be liked
and the other guy wants to kill you. It's not
a knock on Lebron. I'm just saying, that's just a
thing that certain people have. Usually they're a psychopath, all right,
but that's kind of thing we're buddies with. Oh my god,
(08:34):
Greg Buckner, right, And Greg Buckner has been here, He's
been all around the league, and he ran the draft
the year that the Houston Rockets had three first round picks.
He was on their staff and he was running the
draft and they brought all the guys in to compete.
They do these individual drills, they do three on three drills,
they do full court drills, and he goes, I'm running
(08:56):
this draft, and everything that happens, Draymond Green wins.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Yeah, he's yelling at guys.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
They follow him.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
He goes, when we have drink breaks, he's drinking, you know,
guys are drinking water, and everyone's gonna circle around him
and he's running everything. And I go to the front
office and I go, I don't care. We have to
draft Draymond Green. And he wasn't on anybody's first round
because he was six six, couldn't jump, didn't have a position.
And Greg Buckner is like, if we do not draft
this guy, we have failed. And the Houston Rockets did
(09:27):
not draft him, and he went on to he is
a Hall of Fame player for a guy with no.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Real discernible offensive skill.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
He's a good passer, fine, But the whole point is
that there is just certain qualities that certain guys have
from a competition standpoint, and an edge and an.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Energy that you're just born with.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
And not only does Cooper Flag have that, but he
also has all this skill level and size and athletic ability.
And that's why he's the best two way prospect to
come out in the draft since Anthony Davis.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Yes, yes, yeah, that's right, you mentioned Draymon.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Like, take all of that defensive intensity and the intangibles
and then throw it into a six to eight plus
package with a seven foot wingspan and offensive skill and
shooting forty percent from three incredible.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Okay, we're talking aboutible. They're great, Ted Emerick.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
You can hear him tonight here on ninety seven one
The Eagle and watch him on the MAVs Draft Extravaganza
from the American Airline Center. Our coverage, of course, is
brought to you by Kpost Company. So, Ted, I want
to ask you this. Let's talk comps, all right, because
I'm one of those people I need a comp And
so let's say Cooper Flag is this if he just
meets reasonable expectations, like you think he's gonna be okay,
(10:41):
He'll be fine at the low end, lower reasonable end.
I'm not saying he's a bust. He makes it, but
it's on the low end of the spectrum.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
What is that comp?
Speaker 1 (10:48):
And then if he reaches the maximum, give me the
biggest dream I can dream?
Speaker 4 (10:52):
Who is he? If he reaches everything? The dream is
the face of the NBA.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Yeah, and that is a serious dream. That's and I
understand that. I'm colored by the fact that, yes, I
got to see him up close for two plus years
when he was in high school before he went to Duke.
I truly believe that's the ceiling in terms of other players.
(11:20):
I'm curious to bounce this off you, skin Ben, like
Cooper himself has said, he said it in high school. Offensively,
he looks up to Jason Tatum a lot. Defensively, he's
studied a lot of Jonathan Isaac, and I don't you know,
when he's healthy, you understand how good Jonathan Isaac has
in this player, absolutely healthy, exactly combine those two well,
(11:43):
he said it.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
He was asked again this week, and I'm sure you
saw it. I did, and he said, kawhi Leonard.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
The thing I love about it is that our we're
all friends with a guy named Jake Kent from the
Dumb Zone and he had been for something.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
A week now.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
For several weeks now, he's been calling Cooper flag kawhit Leonard,
which I love. But if you remember so and you
can give us more info on this teddy. But he's
a already he's an elite defensive player, like probably has
a chance to be second or third team Old Defense,
like right out as a rookie, right and ultimately he'll
(12:19):
be first team Old Defense. But so he hits the
ground running on that. Offensively, he's still really good. But
he's going to get way better if you guys are now.
Kawhi Leonard was a mid first round pick, so it
wasn't like everyone and he went to a small college
and all this, but he was ready to go defensively
out the gate, and then he turned himself into one
(12:41):
of the best offense Like he's just been hurt so
much people forget. He single handedly led Toronto to a
championship defensively and offensively.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
He became unbeatable in the mid range.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
And the thing about Cooper flag that I'm curious about
is the thing that made Kawhi Leonard so unique. He
was just so physically stronger than everybody else. And it
started with his gigantic palma dump truck hands, but he.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
Just bodied everybody and they moved.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
And so I look at Cooper Flagg's frame and it's great,
and I wonder can he end up being that physically
imposing the way kawhile And.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
It's something that John Shire, is coach at Duke, was
on him quite a bit the first two months of
last season. The most common conversation he had and he
told this to Mike Marshall Machine and me on the
MAVs podcast previewing the Draft, Good Pick, really cool series
when we got to talk with Shier, his high school coach,
(13:42):
Kevin Boyle, and others.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
If you haven't watched it, go back and watch it.
It's going to carry because of the way you guys,
you know, laid it all out.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, And what struck me was what Shire says, like,
I can't repeat the words that I used to frame
this to him, but you've got to be more assertive.
We are at our best when you are bodying him inside.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
There is no one that can check you.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
And coming back from the Christmas break, he was a
different player offensively, and then he was setting the ACC
freshman scoring record with forty two points against Notre Dame.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
And did you seek off?
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Did you see the usage rate stat stuff? And who
he compared to in college?
Speaker 4 (14:23):
I don't have it in.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Front of me, but basically it was the same sort
of usage rate that Steph Curry had at Davidson. Yeah,
and this is not a guard, right, And me and
Ben were talking comps and when I watched him play,
and a lot of it had to do with his size.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
And the fluidity of his handle.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
He very much reminded me of lamar Odom, And that
may be a bad word around here, but lamar Odein was.
I mean, people compared him to Magic Johnson and the
ability to pass off the dribble, And it's one thing
to go with guy's got handles, but as you get bigger,
that changes because of your space to the ground. And
so I look at fluidity of movement and the ability
(15:00):
to make pinpoint passes off the dribble, and there's just
a natural athletic flow to that that some guys have
or some guys don't have. Magic Johnson was six' nine
and the way he handled the, ball he just could do.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
Everything off the dribble the way a six to three
guy could.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Do and WHEN i was Watching Cooper, flag that's what
struck me, offensively not his.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Jumper or his back to the. Basket he's got all that.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
STUFF i was, like his fluidity of movement with the
ball reminds me of Lamar. Odom and so we already
know he's an elite defensive, player but that sort of
natural inate ability gives you a chance to expand your
game in so many different ways because of what you
can do physically real.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
Quick, YEAH i think this is amazing because because we're
getting to Know Cooper flag.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Too Ace flag is as.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
Older or a young, yeah by one minute a, minute
and he's a great player in his own, RIGHT i
think at the at The university Of.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Maine but he's not the number one pick in the.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Draft.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
NO i just think it's. Amazing what a minute Can
it's it's.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Insane that's tells somebody very. SPECIAL a lot of women.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Say, that, women let's get. On SO i.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Didn't i've been aware Of Cooper flag for, years BUT
i didn't ever allow myself to fully invest in it
BECAUSE i never thought he would be a. Maverick and
even right up into the moment we found out we
were getting the number one, PICK i lost my. Mind
the rest of the, NIGHT i was with my Son,
max who's here with, us and we had gone to
see a, movie and then after the movie we stayed
up for hours watching highlights and so the, THING i
(16:36):
was admittedly embarrassingly not super familiar with his, game just From,
afar and AS i was watching, HIGHLIGHTS i saw him
get a steal in a, game and he was back
on his end of the court, defensively and he started
to push the ball up the, floor and there was a,
guard much smaller guy than him in between at about
the half court.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
Mark and he did not slow. Down he did not, Say,
oh here's a guard who's going to take the ball
away from. Me he was, like, Yeah i'm running by.
You and he had the longest strides And i'm like
What he just blew by the.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Guy and then a guy met him at the rim
and he didn't, Say, oh this guy's at the, RIM
i better pull up and pull the.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
Ball he's, Like i'm gonna dug on your soul and
he just went in and. FLY i was, like, wait
what we're getting? That we're getting.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
That i've just been trying to wrap my brain around
how good he's gonna be day one and how good
he could end up. Being and you, know just for
a franchise that is, devastated devastated after The luca, trade
just fully. Devastated Just luca back with The lakers crying
in this, arena fans, crying you, know leaving the, tea all,
(17:39):
that and, somehow, wait you got the number one pick
in a year where it matters that you have the
number one. Pick i'm having a hard time just even
wrapping my brain around the emotion of. It it's it's
one of the greatest THINGS i can remember happening in
my entire life as a.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Fan, yeah you don't use all that luck to Draft
zachary recess, set.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Which he might.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Be there's still a debate on how much he changes your.
Team there's no debate.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Here, no it's truly a generational. Talent and, again get,
it he's super. Young, yes he's he doesn't turn nineteen Until.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
December it's.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Ridiculous if he's born speaking a one minute to take
just eleven. Days if he's born eleven days, later he's
going to duke next.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Year your son's older than. Him, yes we're talking about.
That it's.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Crazy, OKAY i want to ask you this before you,
go BECAUSE i know you got to get start getting
ready for the draft or.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
Whatever matt does not want to hear.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
That.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Okay, so knowing the way the team is right, now
just it's current, state and that we don't know what
they may do at the mid level exception. Whatever but knowing,
that you Know kyrie's not going to be here Until
february Or. March on day, one how do you play?
Him what is this starting lineup for The.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
Mavericks Man.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
We've already said how positionless he can, be and that's
where the game. Is it's not just where it's. Going but,
yeah if you have to slow him into the, THREE
i guess that's where it.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Is but can you imagine just that.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Front line With flag with a HEALTHY ad With Derreck
lively Or gaffer Take lively there seven foot, wingspan seven
six wingspan On, ad seven to nine wingspan On.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
Lively that is. RIDICULOUS i think it's a tricky thing
to pull.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Off but if it's me day, one just because of the,
Circumstances i'm starting him at, two And i'm PLAYING.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
Pj Washington junior at, Three interesting.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Eighty at, Four lively at, Five and IF i don't
have another, guard Then i'm honestly Starting Nase marshall next to,
him And i'm playing that style of basketball Until kyrie gets,
back and THEN i have to Pull clay aside and, go.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Hey, man, right, sorry right, right, Yeah but you, KNOW i, mean.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Ideally you have some point. Guard you, know we'll see
how it'll better and fill in the. Blank but in your,
opinion is it crazy to try to play him at
the two in THIS.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
Nba, no not.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Again be with what you laid out and the versatility
that still presents and the versatility that he.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
Represents try to score on that, team right because he's
not gonna have a problem guarding the other team's.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Too, NO.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
I think he will.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Be he will be guarding the other team's best perimeter
player in most. SITUATIONS i, MEAN pjj did LIKE pj Covered, Shay.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
So it's not. That and that's What Jason kidd.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Loves Jason kidd loves a bunch of. Rangy it's why you.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Know, meanwhile Like cuban does What yannis and kids, like
that's a point, guard, Right like just you have to
have guys rethink the way basketball is, now AND i
think that we.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Can it's okay for us to try to rethink how
to Use cooper flag in the MODERN. Nba.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Unbelievable Ted thank you for your, time, Brother appreciate. You
he's holding it down. Tonight he's our leader on the. Broadcast.
Amazing it's In teddy's hands and coming up some three.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Days, grace.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
You can do it for nine to ten.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Hours, okay here. Goes it's. Great thank you. Guys let
me all, right let me go.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Too
Draft Day. The NBA Draft is tonight. Your Dallas Mavericks
have the number one pick. Cooper Flag will soon be
a Dallas Maverick will go number one in this bad
Boy and it is very very exciting, a shot in
the arm for this franchise. All Dallas Mavericks basketball games
can be heard right here on ninety seven point one
The Eagle, and our draft coverage today is brought to
you by k Post Company. They've did the roof at
(00:21):
the AAC Globe Life Field in AT and T Stadium
as well roofing, waterproofing, solar solutions. They're really really good
at all that stuff. Big ups to Nick and k
Post Company for sponsoring this. Really really appreciate that. Now
our coverage will be live three to six with no
music from the AAC. That's where we are now, and
at six o'clock we will turn things over to the
MAVs television broadcast. We'll have a simulcast of their draft coverage,
(00:45):
which is going to be exceptional, and skin Weight will
be on that. We're gonna talk MAVs basketball. We'll get
in some other things throughout the day, but right now
it's time for this.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Now, around the sports k Twins as all.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
The sports listening live one on the iHeartRadio app. Please
stand up for ted.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
There's no cameras here. What am I doing? What's going on?
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Guys?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Did I just miss Dragula by Rob Zombie or what
we got?
Speaker 4 (01:25):
What we got coming up?
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Music for you today? Okay? During our show and then
during the drafts yeah, no.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
Rob Zombie later after Celebrate. Are you taking over at nine? Yes?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
All right, Christine will be playing to rot Tommy Teddy
is making the request welcome to our show.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
No, I appreciate it, skin man. Looking forward to tonight
with you and follow well and great to be here
with you.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Guys.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
This is man.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
We felt all the emotions right since February first, and
I'm starting to feel hope.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Like because of this player.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Man, please please say that tonight.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Man.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
I was so fortunate that I got to see Cooper
flag a bunch when he was in high school at
Montvert Academy. Tell us about doing the the high school
package on ESPN.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
It's all about recruiting.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
You're seeing these guys before they become these household names.
So got to see Zion Williamson at his senior night
in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in a little bandbox of a gym.
You know, got to see RJ. Barrett and this guy
and that guy like there is. In my seven eight
years of doing that for ESPN, there is nobody that
(02:44):
has struck me like Cooper Flag like there is. He
is a killer. He is an absolute killer. He wants
to rip your heart out, he wants to take a
bite of it. He wants to then step on it
with his new balanced shoes and then leave a train
of blood and his weight.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
This is who he is, this perfect first dation that
plays rob Zombies.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yes, okay, you that is an unbelievably vivid painting a
portrait that you just paid it for.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
So but I want to know more about Now, why
do you say that? Is this a guy who uh is?
You're never gonna worry about his energy. You're not gonna
have to worry about how already's trying. He's like, what
is it that makes you think that?
Speaker 4 (03:28):
It's what I saw?
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Ben I And again, no matter the level of competition,
whether it was set the scene right, Montvert Academy, it's
just outside of Orlando. He transferred there from his tiny
school up in Maine because he wanted to follow the
likes of Cad Cunningham and Scottie Barnes and RJ. Barrett
and Ben Simmons and Angela y go there to his
(03:52):
sophomore year. His sophomore year, and then he reclassified. He
jumped up and all of a sudden, he was a
senior in the class of twenty twenty four.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Did he not win Mister Basketball as a freshman in
the state of Maine?
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Like, did they win? He's a freshman and again, it's.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Maine, right, it's Maine. But people took notice in that summer.
After that freshman season, he transfers to Montfort because he realized,
I have to go somewhere where they play a national
schedule where it's like college in high school, in training, nutrition,
all of that, the travel, and so that we saw
(04:27):
that he was on our air in Springfield, Massachusetts at
the Whopaul Classic. He was on our air in Indianapolis
at Geico Nationals, the Big March Madness style high school
tournament that's every year the week of the Final Four
on ESPN.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
He impacts the game without scoring.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
It's at both ends and to your point, bent the energy,
it's it's something that can be taken for granted so easily,
like that growing up, like, yeah, of course you're supposed
to play hard. It's funny how that's become a skill,
and yet nobody plays as hard as Cooper Flag does.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
That's that whole thing though, where I mean, look, there's
all these talented guys, but there it can be.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
I think it's mostly genetic.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
But the idea where they say the guy's a dog,
like we hear that in sports all the time, but
that means something different to the guys that actually play
or the guys that coach. There is this inate ability
and it's you know, we joke about it on the
air as the three dogs one bone. There's three dogs
and one dog is gonna get that bone. And if
it's the same dog every time, that differentiates him from
(05:39):
all the it's King Charles, right, And that's the name
of that dog that shows the dog though you know
about King Charles whoa ben we'll share some videos with
you later that dog that runs the yard named King Charles.
But if the same dog gets the bone every time,
that's a dog, right, And that's what you know, you
(05:59):
say you've seen as you called his games in high school,
and I hear his peers and I hear the guys
that have been doing this.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
They all say the same thing about him.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Can I'll tell you a quick story from the McDonald's
All American game that we did. It was in Houston
the year he was a senior, so April of last year,
twenty twenty four. It's funny to think it was only
that long ago and here we are a year later
and he's coming here. We got a chance to sit
down with all the top ranked guys in one room
(06:28):
the day before the game, and it's a lot of
guys that are going to hear their names called early,
just like Cooper Flag here tonight.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
It was ten years ago.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
This is last year, the end of their senior year,
so before they go to college.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
We're talking about Flag.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Yeah, we're talking about Dylan Harper, vj Edgecombe, Trey Johnson,
Ace Bailey.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
So like the top five guys in the class.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
If you will, and you like to feel him out,
it's me and it's Corey Alexander if am NBA player
fromer Spur. You know ESPN analyst Paul Biancrdi who does
all the rankings, the director of recruiting for ESPN, and
he liked to feel him out, kind of get to
know him a little bit. And we ask him, so,
how is is this going to be a game tomorrow?
(07:10):
Because the McDonald's All American Game, it's much like the
NBA All Star Game.
Speaker 4 (07:14):
It's it just devolves into a bunch of one on one.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Nobody plays defense and Cooper Flag cuts everybody else off
and he says, oh, it's gonna be a game.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Oh, let's go really, and let's like everyone fell in line.
And it was not one twenty one to one nineteen.
The next day it was eighty eight to eighty six.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Cooper Flag is making play, I mean he sent one
into the fifth row, you know, against Dylan Harper. On
the other side, he makes a play against Harper in
the final minute, forcing a turnover. Cooper Flag just wins.
He is a that that is his greatest skill.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I want to tell you guys a quick story of
what this reminds me of, because I do think I
think it's an innate quality and and like not to
not to go too far off the path, but you know,
the whole Lebron James Michael Jordan, who's a goat or whatever.
The thing that I've always said about that is, well,
I don't know. I just know if those two guys fought,
Michael Jordan would rip Lebron's bone out of his body
(08:13):
and kill him with it. Right, So you can whatever
you want. I'm just saying to the thing that separates
those two guys is one guy wants to be liked
and the other guy wants to kill you. It's not
a knock on Lebron. I'm just saying, that's just a
thing that certain people have. Usually they're a psychopath, all right,
but that's kind of thing we're buddies with. Oh my god,
(08:34):
Greg Buckner, right, And Greg Buckner has been here, He's
been all around the league, and he ran the draft
the year that the Houston Rockets had three first round picks.
He was on their staff and he was running the
draft and they brought all the guys in to compete.
They do these individual drills, they do three on three drills,
they do full court drills, and he goes, I'm running
(08:56):
this draft, and everything that happens, Draymond Green wins.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
Yeah, he's yelling at guys.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
They follow him.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
He goes, when we have drink breaks, he's drinking, you know,
guys are drinking water, and everyone's gonna circle around him
and he's running everything. And I go to the front
office and I go, I don't care. We have to
draft Draymond Green. And he wasn't on anybody's first round
because he was six six, couldn't jump, didn't have a position.
And Greg Buckner is like, if we do not draft
this guy, we have failed. And the Houston Rockets did
(09:27):
not draft him, and he went on to he is
a Hall of Fame player for a guy with no.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Real discernible offensive skill.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
He's a good passer, fine, But the whole point is
that there is just certain qualities that certain guys have
from a competition standpoint, and an edge and an.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Energy that you're just born with.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
And not only does Cooper Flag have that, but he
also has all this skill level and size and athletic ability.
And that's why he's the best two way prospect to
come out in the draft since Anthony Davis.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
Yes, yes, yeah, that's right, you mentioned Draymon.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Like, take all of that defensive intensity and the intangibles
and then throw it into a six to eight plus
package with a seven foot wingspan and offensive skill and
shooting forty percent from three incredible.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Okay, we're talking aboutible. They're great, Ted Emerick.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
You can hear him tonight here on ninety seven one
The Eagle and watch him on the MAVs Draft Extravaganza
from the American Airline Center. Our coverage, of course, is
brought to you by Kpost Company. So, Ted, I want
to ask you this. Let's talk comps, all right, because
I'm one of those people I need a comp And
so let's say Cooper Flag is this if he just
meets reasonable expectations, like you think he's gonna be okay,
(10:41):
He'll be fine at the low end, lower reasonable end.
I'm not saying he's a bust. He makes it, but
it's on the low end of the spectrum.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
What is that comp?
Speaker 1 (10:48):
And then if he reaches the maximum, give me the
biggest dream I can dream?
Speaker 4 (10:52):
Who is he? If he reaches everything? The dream is
the face of the NBA.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Yeah, and that is a serious dream. That's and I
understand that. I'm colored by the fact that, yes, I
got to see him up close for two plus years
when he was in high school before he went to Duke.
I truly believe that's the ceiling in terms of other players.
(11:20):
I'm curious to bounce this off you, skin Ben, like
Cooper himself has said, he said it in high school. Offensively,
he looks up to Jason Tatum a lot. Defensively, he's
studied a lot of Jonathan Isaac, and I don't you know,
when he's healthy, you understand how good Jonathan Isaac has
in this player, absolutely healthy, exactly combine those two well,
(11:43):
he said it.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
He was asked again this week, and I'm sure you
saw it. I did, and he said, kawhi Leonard.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
The thing I love about it is that our we're
all friends with a guy named Jake Kent from the
Dumb Zone and he had been for something.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
A week now.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
For several weeks now, he's been calling Cooper flag kawhit Leonard,
which I love. But if you remember so and you
can give us more info on this teddy. But he's
a already he's an elite defensive player, like probably has
a chance to be second or third team Old Defense,
like right out as a rookie, right and ultimately he'll
(12:19):
be first team Old Defense. But so he hits the
ground running on that. Offensively, he's still really good. But
he's going to get way better if you guys are now.
Kawhi Leonard was a mid first round pick, so it
wasn't like everyone and he went to a small college
and all this, but he was ready to go defensively
out the gate, and then he turned himself into one
(12:41):
of the best offense Like he's just been hurt so
much people forget. He single handedly led Toronto to a
championship defensively and offensively.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
He became unbeatable in the mid range.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
And the thing about Cooper flag that I'm curious about
is the thing that made Kawhi Leonard so unique. He
was just so physically stronger than everybody else. And it
started with his gigantic palma dump truck hands, but he.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
Just bodied everybody and they moved.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
And so I look at Cooper Flagg's frame and it's great,
and I wonder can he end up being that physically
imposing the way kawhile And.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
It's something that John Shire, is coach at Duke, was
on him quite a bit the first two months of
last season. The most common conversation he had and he
told this to Mike Marshall Machine and me on the
MAVs podcast previewing the Draft, Good Pick, really cool series
when we got to talk with Shier, his high school coach,
(13:42):
Kevin Boyle, and others.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
If you haven't watched it, go back and watch it.
It's going to carry because of the way you guys,
you know, laid it all out.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, And what struck me was what Shire says, like,
I can't repeat the words that I used to frame
this to him, but you've got to be more assertive.
We are at our best when you are bodying him inside.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
There is no one that can check you.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
And coming back from the Christmas break, he was a
different player offensively, and then he was setting the ACC
freshman scoring record with forty two points against Notre Dame.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
And did you seek off?
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Did you see the usage rate stat stuff? And who
he compared to in college?
Speaker 4 (14:23):
I don't have it in.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Front of me, but basically it was the same sort
of usage rate that Steph Curry had at Davidson. Yeah,
and this is not a guard, right, And me and
Ben were talking comps and when I watched him play,
and a lot of it had to do with his size.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
And the fluidity of his handle.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
He very much reminded me of lamar Odom, And that
may be a bad word around here, but lamar Odein was.
I mean, people compared him to Magic Johnson and the
ability to pass off the dribble, And it's one thing
to go with guy's got handles, but as you get bigger,
that changes because of your space to the ground. And
so I look at fluidity of movement and the ability
(15:00):
to make pinpoint passes off the dribble, and there's just
a natural athletic flow to that that some guys have
or some guys don't have. Magic Johnson was six' nine
and the way he handled the, ball he just could do.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
Everything off the dribble the way a six to three
guy could.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Do and WHEN i was Watching Cooper, flag that's what
struck me, offensively not his.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
Jumper or his back to the. Basket he's got all that.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
STUFF i was, like his fluidity of movement with the
ball reminds me of Lamar. Odom and so we already
know he's an elite defensive, player but that sort of
natural inate ability gives you a chance to expand your
game in so many different ways because of what you
can do physically real.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
Quick, YEAH i think this is amazing because because we're
getting to Know Cooper flag.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Too Ace flag is as.
Speaker 5 (15:48):
Older or a young, yeah by one minute a, minute
and he's a great player in his own, RIGHT i
think at the at The university Of.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Maine but he's not the number one pick in the.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
Draft.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
NO i just think it's. Amazing what a minute Can
it's it's.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Insane that's tells somebody very. SPECIAL a lot of women.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Say, that, women let's get. On SO i.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Didn't i've been aware Of Cooper flag for, years BUT
i didn't ever allow myself to fully invest in it
BECAUSE i never thought he would be a. Maverick and
even right up into the moment we found out we
were getting the number one, PICK i lost my. Mind
the rest of the, NIGHT i was with my Son,
max who's here with, us and we had gone to
see a, movie and then after the movie we stayed
up for hours watching highlights and so the, THING i
(16:36):
was admittedly embarrassingly not super familiar with his, game just From,
afar and AS i was watching, HIGHLIGHTS i saw him
get a steal in a, game and he was back
on his end of the court, defensively and he started
to push the ball up the, floor and there was a,
guard much smaller guy than him in between at about
the half court.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
Mark and he did not slow. Down he did not, Say,
oh here's a guard who's going to take the ball
away from. Me he was, like, Yeah i'm running by.
You and he had the longest strides And i'm like
What he just blew by the.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Guy and then a guy met him at the rim
and he didn't, Say, oh this guy's at the, RIM
i better pull up and pull the.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
Ball he's, Like i'm gonna dug on your soul and
he just went in and. FLY i was, like, wait
what we're getting? That we're getting.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
That i've just been trying to wrap my brain around
how good he's gonna be day one and how good
he could end up. Being and you, know just for
a franchise that is, devastated devastated after The luca, trade
just fully. Devastated Just luca back with The lakers crying
in this, arena fans, crying you, know leaving the, tea all,
(17:39):
that and, somehow, wait you got the number one pick
in a year where it matters that you have the
number one. Pick i'm having a hard time just even
wrapping my brain around the emotion of. It it's it's
one of the greatest THINGS i can remember happening in
my entire life as a.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Fan, yeah you don't use all that luck to Draft
zachary recess, set.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
Which he might.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Be there's still a debate on how much he changes your.
Team there's no debate.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Here, no it's truly a generational. Talent and, again get,
it he's super. Young, yes he's he doesn't turn nineteen Until.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
December it's.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Ridiculous if he's born speaking a one minute to take
just eleven. Days if he's born eleven days, later he's
going to duke next.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Year your son's older than. Him, yes we're talking about.
That it's.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Crazy, OKAY i want to ask you this before you,
go BECAUSE i know you got to get start getting
ready for the draft or.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
Whatever matt does not want to hear.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
That.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Okay, so knowing the way the team is right, now
just it's current, state and that we don't know what
they may do at the mid level exception. Whatever but knowing,
that you Know kyrie's not going to be here Until
february Or. March on day, one how do you play?
Him what is this starting lineup for The.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
Mavericks Man.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
We've already said how positionless he can, be and that's
where the game. Is it's not just where it's. Going but,
yeah if you have to slow him into the, THREE
i guess that's where it.
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Is but can you imagine just that.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Front line With flag with a HEALTHY ad With Derreck
lively Or gaffer Take lively there seven foot, wingspan seven
six wingspan On, ad seven to nine wingspan On.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
Lively that is. RIDICULOUS i think it's a tricky thing
to pull.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Off but if it's me day, one just because of the,
Circumstances i'm starting him at, two And i'm PLAYING.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
Pj Washington junior at, Three interesting.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Eighty at, Four lively at, Five and IF i don't
have another, guard Then i'm honestly Starting Nase marshall next to,
him And i'm playing that style of basketball Until kyrie gets,
back and THEN i have to Pull clay aside and, go.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Hey, man, right, sorry right, right, Yeah but you, KNOW i, mean.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Ideally you have some point. Guard you, know we'll see
how it'll better and fill in the. Blank but in your,
opinion is it crazy to try to play him at
the two in THIS.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
Nba, no not.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Again be with what you laid out and the versatility
that still presents and the versatility that he.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
Represents try to score on that, team right because he's
not gonna have a problem guarding the other team's.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Too, NO.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
I think he will.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Be he will be guarding the other team's best perimeter
player in most. SITUATIONS i, MEAN pjj did LIKE pj Covered, Shay.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
So it's not. That and that's What Jason kidd.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
Loves Jason kidd loves a bunch of. Rangy it's why you.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
Know, meanwhile Like cuban does What yannis and kids, like
that's a point, guard, Right like just you have to
have guys rethink the way basketball is, now AND i
think that we.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Can it's okay for us to try to rethink how
to Use cooper flag in the MODERN. Nba.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
Unbelievable Ted thank you for your, time, Brother appreciate. You
he's holding it down. Tonight he's our leader on the. Broadcast.
Amazing it's In teddy's hands and coming up some three.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
Days, grace.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
You can do it for nine to ten.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Hours, okay here. Goes it's. Great thank you. Guys let
me all, right let me go.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Too
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