Duke freshman Cooper Flagg made plenty of headlines during the Team USA Select scrimmages. Flagg went up against NBA stars such as Stephen Curry, Anthony David, and LeBron James and caught everyone’s attention with some impressive highlight-reel plays.
The Team USA Select roster included players such as Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez, Jr., Jalen Suggs, and Amen Thompson, among others. But when Flagg was asked who his favorite player was from the Select team, he made a surprising choice.
Podziemski, nicknamed Podz, was the 19th overall pick by Golden State in the 2023 NBA Draft after a stellar run at Santa Clara. This past season, he played in 74 games for the Warriors, averaging 9.2 points per game with 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
Podz was back with the Warriors Summer League team in the California Classic after his Team USA Select stint. On Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings, he scored 15 points—the second-most on the team—and added four assists in 29 minutes.
Being named Cooper Flagg’s favorite teammate should be quite an honor, especially with the Duke phenom widely expected to be the first player taken in the 2025 NBA Draft.
With Klay Thompson out of Golden State, there could be a larger role for Podziemski this season. As for Flagg, he is going to be a player to watch all season for the Blue Devils, especially with all of the hype surrounding him entering his freshman season.