NBA Draft Spotlight: Behind the Scenes with Adam Flagler
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You don’t have to talk with Baylor guard Adam Flagler long to know that NBA organizations are going to fall in love with him during the pre-draft process. One team will be ecstatic on draft night when they get the privilege of selecting him.
Flagler himself explained it best to Draft Digest in terms of what this fortunate NBA team will be getting.
“I am a reliable, dependable guy on and off the court. Someone that is going to challenge the atmosphere and a presence on and off the court,” said the Baylor guard. “I will bring positivity and maturity along with being a plug and play guy. I can do a lot of things, be a spacer for guys who are on the ball as well as control the team and get everyone in sets and whatever the coaches need. Off the court you won’t have to worry about me and on the court I will be coachable. The things that are hard help me be the best version of myself.”
There is plenty to love about Flagler on the court but as you can tell, he takes just as much pride in who he is off the floor.
This especially shines through when discussing the next generation as he wants to be the one that influences these children to show them anything is possible.
If you found yourself at the same holiday party as Flagler you wouldn’t see him upstairs playing card games with the adults. Instead, he finds his joy in entertaining and wearing out the kids in the basement playing basketball or any other game.
“Kids are the most pure beings there are,” Flagler told Draft Digest. “I am a kid at heart and we all need to be that.”
Flagler grew up in Duluth, GA with his parents, Michael and Priscilla, and three siblings. His two older brothers played college athletics but when asked who the best athlete in the family was, Flagler responded, “If not me, my dad is the best athlete in the family. 61 years old, looks like a truck, physical presence, 5-foot-9, can grab the rim, always testing his strength.”
A family of athletes, the cookout pickup games were competitive and Flagler spent his childhood fighting and begging to get involved. Playing basketball, baseball and football were all part of his development early on but by the time he reached high school his father encouraged him to make a choice and that choice was hoops.
Flagler had spent his childhood playing as a point guard and he did make the varsity team as a freshman, but most of his minutes were spent on the JV team. His father again stepped in and this time encouraged him to make the transition to shooting guard.
“We worked endlessly and tirelessly on my shot so I could score at the level of a shooting guard,” Flagler said.
It paid off, to an extent, as Flagler started to get calls from colleges but unfortunately the actual offers never came as teams continued to question his shooting, height and being a combo guard.
It would have been easy for Flagler, and his family, to look for greener pastures that provided more exposure but loyalty runs stronger than that for him.
“I played under a non sponsored AAU team, I had opportunities to transfer to bigger high schools with more publicity but stayed at Duluth to grow physically, mentally but also show loyalty to this community and bring happiness and impact it the way it impacted me,” Flagler said.
His high school career concluded with countless honors and awards but just a single division I offer from Presbyterian.
He made the most of it.
Flagler earned freshman of the year honors while averaging 15.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He had planned on staying for two full years before transferring but when the coaching staff left after his first year on campus he entered his name in the portal. The transfer portal was the first taste of “five star life” as he got calls from 30-40 coaches, but quickly marked some off that list. Flagler could easily tell some coaches didn’t know who he was and had just read his name and stats off of a list.
Baylor, and associate head coach John Jakus, certainly did not take that same lackadaisical approach and it paid off.
“Coach Jakus came to visit me on Easter and that meant alot considering my faith and that Coach Jakus would be away from his family for the holiday,” said Flagler. “The least I could do is return the favor for a visit.”
It was this visit that not only sealed the deal for Flagler’s next stop on his basketball journey but also gives you insight to who he is as a player.
Working out with future professionals Jared Butler, Davion Mitchell and MaCio Teague was an eye opening experience for Flagler.
“I got my welcome to the Big 12 moment but I thought, this is what I need. I didn’t know what my playing time would be but I knew I would be uncomfortable and allow me to grow,” the Baylor guard said.”
Embracing no guaranteed path to playing time or minutes and the idea of being uncomfortable to reach his full potential. This is a rare mindset for many athletes today but as we have discussed, Flagler is a rare young man.
He won a national championship in his time at Baylor. He started 63 games. He knocked down 201 3-point shots in three years. He was unanimous All-Big 12 first team this past season. Just like high school, the awards and accolades are endless.
As you would expect, stats were not mentioned when asked how he grew the most in his time in Waco. Instead he talks about growing as a person and as a leader and why his senior year transition to point guard was easier than you might expect.
“The point guard role was easier than expected because of who I am as a person, caring, compassionate,” Flagler told Draft Digest. “My voice is something I used to get my point across and doing what I can to help you. As a point guard you spend time off the court to know who they [teammates] are and how to push their buttons so you can demand those things on the court.”
The 6-foot-3 guard will now take his talent to the NBA where he no longer has to answer questions about his shooting ability, career 40% from behind the 3-point line and 81% from the charity stripe, but questions remain about his size, defense and position.
Flagler knows he is small, saying he knows he has to find unique ways to exploit the defense since he isn’t a jumbo guard. He says he watches Chris Paul to better learn how to control the game, operate in the mid range and be an all around three level scorer. He also mentioned Damian Lillard when studying players who are able to knock down shots off the bounce.
At his size, teams will also have questions about his defense but Flagler explains perfectly what value he can bring on that end of the court.
“They [people who speak on his game] don’t give me enough credit for my defense. I am undersized but I am physically and mentally tough, I am aware of the game, IQ, and willingness to fight,” said Flagler.
Flagler has entrusted Mike Simonetta and Todd Ramasar at Life Sports Agency to guide him on this journey and just like his recruitment to Baylor, it came down to relationships.
Coach Jakus encouraged him to at least listen to what they had to offer and with the relationship and respect he had for the coach it was again the least he could do. Flagler signed with Life Sports when entering last offseason because of their divine interest and research on him, but what really stood out was how they handled him upon his return to Baylor for another year.
“They still came to games, texted me weekly, kept up with me this past season even after I had signed the year before,” said Flagler. “They showed they cared about me and my game.”
Adam Flagler is not only a pro, he is an NBA pro. Yes, the current NBA has fallen in love with positional size, versatility and athleticism but there are other qualities that bind a championship team together. Leadership, character, toughness, growth mindset….not to mention the ability to knock down shots, run the pick-and-roll and defend on the perimeter. This may sound different than your typical NBA prospect but as we know, Flagler is different in every good way possible.
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