Brian Dutcher got to know Toronto Raptors prospect Malachi Flynn during the shortened 2019-20 season and the San Diego State basketball coach believes his former player can have an immediate impact in a reserve role at the NBA level.
“I think he’s ready to go,” Dutcher told Sportsnet 590 Thursday when talking about the 29th-overall pick from the 2020 NBA Draft.
Flynn transferred to San Diego State after two years at Washington State. The six-foot-one guard averaged 17.6 points, 5.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game in 32 starts under Dutcher and was named the 2020 Mountain West Player of the Year after the team finished with a 30-2 record.
“We’re not talking about a guy you’re going to throw into the starting lineup and gonna have to carry the load,” Dutcher explained. “I think everybody feels good about Malachi because you throw him in there with a second unit, when the first unit’s out and you feel like, ‘Wow, we’re gonna still function at a really high level.’
“So much of those NBA games is about the second unit, building a lead, maintaining a lead, playing the right way and I think with Malachi out there with whoever they put him with they’ll play the right way.”
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Flynn made his NBA pre-season debut earlier this month and the Tacoma, Wash., native has impressed onlookers with his initial performances.
“I would say if swagger is a skill, he’s got that,” Dutcher added. “He knows he’s good. He knows he belongs. He plays with great confidence and the thing he did for us, even though he was our best player, he didn’t feel he had to score all the time.
“He got his teammates involved, he ran the team and then there’d be a four- or five-minute stretch where he’d go three (pointer), three, runner and he’d have 10 points in three minutes, so he’s not out there hunting a shot. He’s out there playing the right way but he’s not afraid when the opportunity presents itself he’ll go basket, basket, basket to turn his offensive game loose at times.”
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