Duke star Cooper Flagg wants what Jordi Fernandez could give him with the Nets

DURHAM, N.C.— It seems like a third of the teams in the NBA are tanking — OK, trying — to get Duke star Cooper Flagg.

The Nets are among them. The Nets have gone from fighting against a rebuild to fully embracing one.They played Wednesday in Charlotte, a fellow lottery hopeful.

And a couple of hours up the road — up on Tobacco Road, to be specific — Flagg is the franchise-changer they’re hoping for. “It looks like we’ve finally got a No.1 pick who’s actually a real No.

1 pick,” a Western Conference scout familiar with the 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg told The Post. Flagg is averaging 19.9 points, eight rebounds and 4.1 assists, even adding 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks.Flagg has an all-around game, making him a rare prospect that would be an attractive complement for an established All-Star. But for Flagg, what impresses scouts aren’t his measurables, but his mentality.If teams are going to gamble by tanking away a season, what convinces them Flagg is the closest thing to a sure bet isn’t just ability, but coachability.

And he drove that point home in Duke’s 74-64 win over NC State. Flagg finished a rare quiet first half Monday with just five points on 2-for-7 shooting, and the Blue Devils down by four.During a timeout just before the break, Duke coach Jon Scheyer was blunt with his star freshman. “Coach is always honest with me about what he thinks, and that’s one of the reasons I chose him to be my coach … he’s always honest with me and he keeps it 100,” Flagg said.“So, that’s what I need from a coach, and that’s what he does. “He kept it honest with me.

He told me I was being finesse and soft and a lot of other things.So just about responding well, and just hearing that helps me a lot.” That’s what kind of tough love Flagg got from Montverde’s Kevin Boyle, who also coached Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving and Scottie Barnes.

The Nets — who entered play Wednesday fifth in the NBA lottery odds — have a similar c...