LAS VEGAS — Dozens of NBA scouts, executives and other personalities lined the floor at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Friday night.

Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, Utah Jazz president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, Boston Celtics assistant general manager Austin Ainge, Tayshaun Prince and Shaun Livingston, to name a few, were all courtside. In some form or another, almost every team in the league was represented.

They were all in the building for a showcase of college and NBA prospects organized by the league and Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL).

Tre Johnson, who's committed to Texas was on the floor for Link Academy. Liam McNeeley, who's headed to Indiana was in action for Montverde Academy.

But the main attraction was undoubtedly Montverde's Cooper Flagg, the 6'9" wing from Maine and Duke commit who's the No. 1 NBA prospect in his class.

With the amount of talent on the floor, Flagg sometimes faded into the background (in part because of his team's inability or unwillingness to get him the ball), but there was more than one moment where his upside popped. And after four quarters, it was easy to understand the hype.

Moves Like a Wing

When lined up alongside other high school players, Flagg's size stands out. He's a legit 6'9" with what appears to be a plus wingspan. Most of the players he defended (and was being defended by) were three or four inches shorter.

But what really made the size unique, at least relative to these other high school players, was how he moved.

In transition, Flagg glides up and down the floor. Defensively, at least on Friday, he navigated screens like a much smaller player, effortlessly sliding around or over would-be obstacles.

So, while he was one of the biggest and most vertically explosive athletes on the floor against Link, it's pretty clear that his NBA future is on the wing.

He didn't get a ton of opportunities to shoot jumpers, but the corner three he hit in the third quarter supported that conclusion too. The timing, high release and mechanics were as sharp as they are in the YouTube mixtapes.

Defense First

Flagg wants to block everything. And with eyes-at-the-rim leaping ability and the aforementioned size and length, he's going to get a lot of shots.

Overzealousness may hurt him on occasion, especially as he progresses through college and into the NBA, but his approach at least shows that he has the right attitude on defense.

It's clear he knows he can affect the game on that end, and not just as a deterrent against the guy he's assigned to guard.

On seemingly every one-on-one matchup he faced Friday, Flagg was able to meaningfully contest attempts put up on him (Link was surprisingly aggressive, though largely unsuccessful, in trying to score on Flagg). What may have been more impressive, though, was his challenges from the weakside.

On several drives by Link players, Flagg would appear at the last possible moment for a late contest or block. You could see him anticipating the action from one or two players away, biding his time and springing toward the attacker just in time to change the play and without sacrificing attention to his own individual assignment.

The size, speed and anticipation of NBA players will neutralize much of that, at least at first, but Flagg has Andrei Kirilenko-like defensive potential with his frame and instincts.

Unselfish (maybe to a Fault)

For most of Montverde's possessions, Flagg's first (or close to first) action upon catching the ball was a pass. He generally seemed more concerned with keeping the ball moving than getting his own shot.

And there's definitely some good in that. Unselfishness is a positive trait for most players, but Flagg may have to learn over the course of this season that he occasionally needs to be more aggressive, especially if his guards aren't focused on setting him up.

There's plenty of time for him to figure out that balance, though. For now, seeing his vision and willingness to pass out of forays to the rim was encouraging.

On more than one occasion Friday, he drew defensive attention toward the basket before making the right read for an assist. On one such play, he calmly slid an off-the-bounce, one-handed and lefty pass to a teammate for a bucket.

In today's NBA, passing (and the ability to create passing opportunities) is as important as it's ever been. And though he doesn't have to be a full-fledged point forward, a little playmaking is almost a prerequisite for current stars.

Flagg has the potential to check that box.

NBA Athleticism

Toward the end of the first half, after his teammates had generally dominated the ball for most of the first and second periods, a loose ball finally gave Flagg an opportunity to truly showcase his explosiveness.

Montverde's Robert Wright started the break, spotted Flagg, dribbled to around the free-throw and threw an underhanded lefty lob toward the rim. Flagg did the rest.

That was certainly the best example of his NBA-level explosiveness from Friday's game, but you could see it on several of his attempted blocks too. Flagg can get up. And he can get up in a hurry.

It's a big part of why all those mixtapes of his have become so popular over the last couple years, but it's also what could potentially make him one of the NBA's most explosive and dynamic defenders.

The raw athleticism could still use a little harnessing on the offensive end. On a couple drives, Flagg suddenly found himself swarmed near the rim and failed to out-athlete his way to a score. In time, he'll learn better how to manipulate defenders with change of pace, kickouts and fakes.

But there's no doubt, even in this somewhat unrefined form, that Flagg's physical tools are NBA level.

Unique Creation

In much the same way he exploded into blocks or contests on defense, Flagg showed a knack for timing offensive rebounds and beating opponents to the ball's high point.

A lot of that has to do with his athleticism, but his feel for the game was evident on those plays too.

And for a player who spends most of his time off the ball, that form of shot creation is crucial, especially if you're playing with shoot-first guards.

Whether he gets to handle the ball much or not at Duke or in the NBA, Flagg will still create opportunities for himself by crashing the glass and making timely cuts.

In that respect, his game has a hint of Aaron Gordon (since he joined the Denver Nuggets) to it.

If he hangs onto that, while also continuing to hone a jump shot (that again, looks good), Flagg has the potential to be a high-level NBA scorer.

Early on, his playing time and upside are likely to be driven by what he can do on the other end, but his shot at being a superstar depends on offense.

On Friday, he showed he can eventually check both boxes.