More than two hours after the fact, Nico Harrison emerged from the Mavericks’ draft room late Wednesday with a smile so fresh, one would have thought he drafted Cooper Flagg moments earlier.
Then again, it’s probable Harrison has smiled every waking hour since that unfathomable night of May 12, when the Mavericks drew the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft lottery.
How much does the addition of uber-talented 18-year-old Flagg mean to the franchise? In a word, everything: present and future.
“I think it’s win now. It’s also win in the future,” Harrison said during a post-draft news conference in Dallas. “Eventually it’s going to be Cooper’s team. We don’t know when that transition will happen. So I think it’s win now and then set yourself up to win in the future as well.”
One of Harrison’s Mavericks predecessors, Don Nelson, remarked after becoming Dallas’ general manager in 1997 that the two most important things a franchise can create for fans are hope and excitement.
Cooper = Hope.
Flagg = Excitement.
A burning question on fans’ and reporters’ minds as they envision 6-9 Flagg in a Mavericks uniform is what position he’ll most often play.
Harrison indicated the beauty in the answer is that it doesn’t matter. Flagg is capable of playing, and will play, multiple positions.
“It’s funny that J-Kidd and I have this joke,” Harrison said of coach Jason Kidd, who, yes, the GM assured Wednesday, will coach the Mavericks next season and not the Knicks. “When the season’s over with, he passes me the ball.
“And then when the season starts, I pass him the ball back. And so that would be a J-Kidd thing. But really, he’s a basketball player. He can handle the ball. He can shoot. He can make plays for people. He’s a good passer.
“He’s going to be on the floor. And the big thing is who he can defend. He’s a great defender. So, I think positionally, you’re going to see us play a different style of basketball with him and P.J. on the wings.”
That would be P.J. Washington, the incumbent starting small forward when big men Dereck Lively II and Anthony Davis are healthy.
Most speculation has been that Flagg will primarily play small forward, but clearly Harrison envisions him and Washington sharing the court.
The general manager said many people outside the organization don’t realize how strong the Mavericks’ culture is. For example, he noted that six players took Flagg out to dinner on the second night of his visit to Dallas last week.
And when Flagg worked out for about 75 minutes, Washington was among the Mavericks players watching.
“I said, ‘Hey, P.J., you think you guys can play together?’ ” Harrison recalled. “He’s like, ‘Oh yeah, we can play together.’ So I don’t see any jealousy. I think guys are excited to play with him and as he’s ready, he’s gonna get more and more opportunities.”
Clearly the Mavericks understand Flagg is a gift. Harrison called him a generational talent.
For all of the physical attributes and savvy Flagg showed during his lone season at Duke, and before that, Montverde Academy in Florida, Harrison said most impressive is the way Flagg’s coaches and teammates talk about him.
“His coach will tell you, ‘When I can coach my best player tough, it makes it easier to coach everybody else,’ ” Harrison said. “His teammates will say, ‘Best teammate I’ve ever had, most competitive person.’ ”
Unlike most high draft choices, Flagg isn’t coming to a bottom-feeder team he’ll have to carry.
He’s coming to a franchise with fellow No. 1 overall picks Davis and Kyrie Irving, who certainly will be Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers, as will teammate Klay Thompson.
“When you really have a good culture, I don’t think it matters who’s the focal point or who’s the guy,” Harrison said. “I think if you’re just playing and everybody’s focused on winning, then the ball is going to find people and you’re going to play. ... We’re just gonna play basketball as he develops, as he progresses. I think his team’s gonna embrace him.”
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