Cooper Flagg

[12footrim]

overrated prospect. people use 'generational talent' so loosely these days.

What makes him overrated?

His stats were pedestrian in high school.

16.5ppg 7.5rpg 3.8apg 1.6spg 2.7bpg

I don't care if that is a great high school team with a bunch of other top players, one of his teammates averaged exactly the same averages points and rebound averages. The season prior it was the same guys and he averaged 9.8ppg 5.2rpg and was like the 3rd or 4th leading scorer. If you are some generational talent I think you really need to be dominating high schoolers in a way that is tangible on the court. Luka and Wembanyama for example dominated professionals.

I expect him to be the #1 pick and longterm it will probably work out well, but a lot of people are already talking about him as the best player in college basketball or top 5. I think expecting a 6-9, 200lb dude that plays in the post to come into college basketball at the age of 17 and be a top 5 player like I've seen some pick him is ridiculous in the super senior era. Freshmen are struggling more than ever per kenpom.

He not only has that working against him, he doesn't turn 18 until like the last week of December when there will be many 23 and 24 year old 250lb post players in college basketball next year in the last year of the super senior. It's basically like a high school Junior playing in college basketball if you take his age and those in their 5th or 6th years and he will run into Bacot and DJ Burns types.

[Almond2Oak]

IMO he’s a taller Shaun Livingston mixed with KG hybrid. He’s gonna be a problem

[Chuck Everett]

overrated prospect. people use 'generational talent' so loosely these days.

What makes him overrated?

His stats were pedestrian in high school.

16.5ppg 7.5rpg 3.8apg 1.6spg 2.7bpg

I don't care if that is a great high school team with a bunch of other top players, one of his teammates averaged exactly the same averages. The season prior it was the same guys and he averaged 9.8ppg 5.2rpg and was like the 3rd or 4th leading scorer.

Last season at Montverde had three other 5 star players on the roster (super team) in Asa Newell, Liam McNeeley and Derik Queen. It almost feels statistically impossible for him to average huge counting stats when they're blowing out everyone. If he played at a normal HS, he probably would have averaged like 35-40ppg.

[UcanUwill]

overrated prospect. people use 'generational talent' so loosely these days.

What makes him overrated?

His stats were pedestrian in high school.

16.5ppg 7.5rpg 3.8apg 1.6spg 2.7bpg

I don't care if that is a great high school team with a bunch of other top players, one of his teammates averaged exactly the same averages. The season prior it was the same guys and he averaged 9.8ppg 5.2rpg and was like the 3rd or 4th leading scorer. If you are some generational talent I think you really need to be dominating high schoolers in a way that is tangible on the court. Luka and Wembanyama for example dominated professionals.

I expect him to be the #1 pick and longterm it will probably work out well, but a lot of people are already talking about him as the best player in college basketball or top 5. I think expecting a 6-9, 200lb dude that plays in the post to come into college basketball at the age of 17 and be a top 5 player like I've seen some pick him is ridiculous in the super senior era. Freshmen are struggling more than ever per kenpom.

He not only has that working against him, he doesn't turn 18 until like the last week of December when there will be many 23 and 24 year old 250lb post players in college basketball next year in the last year of the super senior. It's basically like a high school Junior playing in college basketball if you take his age and those in their 5th or 6th years and he will run into Bacot and DJ Burns types.

Wembanyama was talked up as greatest thing ever when he averaged 3 points on 33 FG% in Euroleague, Wemby had a case for worst Euroleague stats guy of all time lol. Granted he was 16, but he didnt doninate ****, he was the one dominated, badly. Granted, he would downgrade competition, move that for some reason received no croticism at all... he will leave Euroleague team for team not even qualified for any Euro tournament, and he will follow with a fantastic season in French league, bouncing his former and Euroleague team in a semis, and that will lead to him getting drafted first overall. But even at a time, Wembanyama was a project, he was far from Luka Doncic.

Also, as mentioned, Flagg had no problem dominating far bigger dudes in 2022. Granted college is way better, but Flagg himself is way better today.

[DarkAzcura]

overrated prospect. people use 'generational talent' so loosely these days.

What makes him overrated?

His stats were pedestrian in high school.

16.5ppg 7.5rpg 3.8apg 1.6spg 2.7bpg

I don't care if that is a great high school team with a bunch of other top players, one of his teammates averaged exactly the same averages points and rebound averages. The season prior it was the same guys and he averaged 9.8ppg 5.2rpg and was like the 3rd or 4th leading scorer. If you are some generational talent I think you really need to be dominating high schoolers in a way that is tangible on the court. Luka and Wembanyama for example dominated professionals.

I expect him to be the #1 pick and longterm it will probably work out well, but a lot of people are already talking about him as the best player in college basketball or top 5. I think expecting a 6-9, 200lb dude that plays in the post to come into college basketball at the age of 17 and be a top 5 player like I've seen some pick him is ridiculous in the super senior era. Freshmen are struggling more than ever per kenpom.

He not only has that working against him, he doesn't turn 18 until like the last week of December when there will be many 23 and 24 year old 250lb post players in college basketball next year in the last year of the super senior. It's basically like a high school Junior playing in college basketball if you take his age and those in their 5th or 6th years and he will run into Bacot and DJ Burns types.

You can’t just use stats on a top high school team like that in a vacuum.

[12footrim]

What makes him overrated?

His stats were pedestrian in high school.

16.5ppg 7.5rpg 3.8apg 1.6spg 2.7bpg

I don't care if that is a great high school team with a bunch of other top players, one of his teammates averaged exactly the same averages. The season prior it was the same guys and he averaged 9.8ppg 5.2rpg and was like the 3rd or 4th leading scorer.

Last season at Montverde had three other 5 star players on the roster (super team) in Asa Newell, Liam McNeeley and Derik Queen. It almost feels statistically impossible for him to average huge counting stats when they're blowing out everyone. If he played at a normal HS, he probably would have averaged like 35-40ppg.

If you are a "generational talent" I think you would easily outshine them as well and get yours first and they fall in behind you. Not just be a guy. He was just another guy. What is the difference in that and what he will play with at Duke, yet people seem to expect him to walk in and dominate college players and averaged like 20 and 10. How, how does he even score as a 200lb post tweener. I think defensively he will block shots like AK, but I'm not sold he's scoring efficiently. 78% FT's, 38% three's on low 1 a game volume, but he's going to dominate in college next year as a 17 year old. I don't see man.

He sucked in the McDonalds AA game too. His crazy AAU stats were vs U16 I believe. I've seen all his stats. Playing on the U17 team when he was 15 was impressive, but I can't get past the HS stats since. Ace Baily played on a top 12 team and was averaging like 33 and 15rpg

[RookieStar]

Im going with a smaller younger Paolo Banchero

[12footrim]

Im going with a smaller younger Paolo Banchero

People said the same stuff about Dariq Whitehead and Derrick Lively who were the #1 and #2 consensus players and they averaged and 5ppg. There have been tons of these bust lately in the super senior NIL every year if you haven't noticed. Justin Edwards, Aaron Bradshaw last year as top 3 consensus recruits.

Banchero didn't play in the super senior era, or at least not the one with NIL when post players like Bacot were getting paid NIL and sticking around longer. That's the difference IMO. These last two years you are getting great groundbound post players that stay 4 or 5 years and collect NIL because they can make more than in the NBA.

Per KenPom, only six of the top 100 players in offensive rating are freshmen. In the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, that number was 14. Last season, there were only two freshmen in the top 100. Playing time has remained roughly the same since 2020, though in 2019 nine freshmen ranked in KenPom’s top 100 players in percentage of minutes played — this season, there are two.

[Chuck Everett]

His stats were pedestrian in high school.

16.5ppg 7.5rpg 3.8apg 1.6spg 2.7bpg

I don't care if that is a great high school team with a bunch of other top players, one of his teammates averaged exactly the same averages. The season prior it was the same guys and he averaged 9.8ppg 5.2rpg and was like the 3rd or 4th leading scorer.

Last season at Montverde had three other 5 star players on the roster (super team) in Asa Newell, Liam McNeeley and Derik Queen. It almost feels statistically impossible for him to average huge counting stats when they're blowing out everyone. If he played at a normal HS, he probably would have averaged like 35-40ppg.

If you are a "generational talent" I think you would easily outshine them as well and get yours first and they fall in behind you. Not just be a guy. He was just another guy. What is the difference in that and what he will play with at Duke, yet people seem to expect him to walk in and dominate college players and averaged like 20 and 10. How, how does he even score as a 200lb post tweener. I think defensively he will block shots like AK, but I'm not sold he's scoring efficiently. 78% FT's, 38% three's on low 1 a game volume, but he's going to dominate in college next year as a 17 year old. I don't see man.

He sucked in the McDonalds AA game too. His crazy AAU stats were vs U16 I believe. I've seen all his stats. Playing on the U17 team when he was 15 was impressive, but I can't get past the HS stats since. Ace Baily played on a top 12 team and was averaging like 33 and 15rpg

Well, this is certainly a take. I can't even really say you're wrong. I wanted Cooper to play for Dan Hurley (and not because I root for UConn). I just think he's a much better coach than Scheyer. Duke is such a weird basketball program at the moment. They went out and got a bunch of fifth-years (Sion James, Mason Gillis) to coalesce around him, Caleb Foster, Tyrese Proctor, Kon Knuppel, Isaiah Evans, etc... They seem like a collection of dudes, but not really a team. I expect he'll get numbers, but my expectations on how his season will go are tempered because I don't believe in the coach. I do expect he will be All-ACC and possibly an All-American though.

Also, we'll see what Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper do in the Big 10 at Rutgers. Those guys aren't playing with anyone either. They could have huge years and Rutgers is still a .500 team. I have no idea what to expect from them either. I also dislike Big 10 basketball. It's garbage for the most part.

[Jabroni Lames]

Taller, slightly more athletic Gordon Hayward... which is a 4-5 time All-Star and likely 1-2 All-NBA player, if everything breaks right.

Generational talent? No.

[Chuck Everett]

People said the same stuff about Dariq Whitehead and Derrick Lively who were the #1 and #2 consensus players and they averaged and 5ppg. There have been tons of these bust lately in the super senior NIL every year if you haven't noticed. Justin Edwards, Aaron Bradshaw last year as top 3 consensus recruits.

This is where I blame Scheyer again. Not on Whitehead being injury prone, but on Lively. He didn't know what he was doing with him.That dude should have been a top 5 pick and he was an elite shotblocker/rim protector by the end of his freshman year. It took him 30 games to realize Lively's impact was Clingan-esque. If he had gone to FSU like was originally thought before Duke swooped in with a bag, Leonard Hamilton would have gotten way more out of him.

[CKB]

He reminds me of Chase Budinger. White, athletic and some defensive instincts. What makes Flagg different is his love for the game. Chase didn't love basketball. His heart was in volleyball.

[12footrim]

People said the same stuff about Dariq Whitehead and Derrick Lively who were the #1 and #2 consensus players and they averaged and 5ppg. There have been tons of these bust lately in the super senior NIL every year if you haven't noticed. Justin Edwards, Aaron Bradshaw last year as top 3 consensus recruits.

This is where I blame Scheyer again. Not on Whitehead being injury prone, but on Lively. He didn't know what he was doing with him.That dude should have been a top 5 pick and he was an elite shotblocker/rim protector by the end of his freshman year. It took him 30 games to realize Lively's impact was Clingan-esque. If he had gone to FSU like was originally thought before Duke swooped in with a bag, Leonard Hamilton would have gotten way more out of him.

100% agree, but that's Flaggs coach too. That's got to be factored in along with just the overall bust rate and how much the super senior/NIL era is changing things right now.

I sent you a PM BTW to some articles I think you might want to check out.

[Texas Chuck]

man we have a ton of expert level scouts--don't even need to see anything but a couple highlight videos on youtube and they already know exactly how his NBA prospects will turn out. Crazy that you guys are posting here instead of running scouting departments in the Association.

Let me know if you need help with your resume.

[JRoy]

My son is pretty hyped about Flagg, has seen a lot more of him than I have. He was right about Doncic when I had never heard of him.

This time I’m getting in on the ground floor.

[kobe_vs_jordan]

Some interesting takes here. His stats being pedestrian is a laughable take. Monte Verde is like playing for Calapari Kentucky.

[UcanUwill]

man we have a ton of expert level scouts--don't even need to see anything but a couple highlight videos on youtube and they already know exactly how his NBA prospects will turn out. Crazy that you guys are posting here instead of running scouting departments in the Association.

Let me know if you need help with your resume.

Bruh, this is basketball forum, what are we suppose to do?

[Duke4life831]

Flagg is a guy that has stood out now for the last 2 years no matter the competition.

Whether it was in international play a couple years ago where he put on a defensive clinic. He put up 10/17 with 8 steals and 4 blocks in the final game in the U17 World Cup.

He put up monster stats at Peach Jam when he was on a severely limited team (compared to the opposition). And he just won high school player of the year award while playing on one of the more dominant high school teams we’ve seen in awhile. And wherever he goes to these high level camps, he’s always the standout. So he’s shown he can be a huge stats guy leading a team, or he can fit in and stand out on a stacked team as well.

Is he a LeBron or Wemby level of prospect? No. But the dude has been tested a ton the last 2 years and seems to be improving at a pretty rapid rate.

Again 2 years ago he was known more as a defensive guy. Defense is still his strongest aspect, but he’s turned himself into a legit point forward prospect at 6’9 and his jumper and especially mid range game has took a huge step this past year.

I mean, when was the last time a 17 year old got invited to be on the select team for team USA? And from most reports I’ve seen, he seems to be holding his own pretty well so far.

Also don’t get the Hayward comps either than being tall white guys. The AK47 comps do make sense from a defensive standpoint. AK47 was a defensive menace with blocked shots and steals and Flagg is pretty similar there. But again Flagg’s offensive progression over the last 2 years has kind of turned himself into an AK47 who has the potential to be a legit point forward.

General talent? Probably not. A prospect to get very excited about? I’d say so.

[Saints14]

I won't have a firm opinion of Flagg until I watch him play in college (I just don't follow HS ball closely), but he reminds me of how Cade Cunningham was talked about as a prospect

[UcanUwill]

Im going with a smaller younger Paolo Banchero

People said the same stuff about Dariq Whitehead and Derrick Lively who were the #1 and #2 consensus players and they averaged and 5ppg. There have been tons of these bust lately in the super senior NIL every year if you haven't noticed. Justin Edwards, Aaron Bradshaw last year as top 3 consensus recruits.

Banchero didn't play in the super senior era, or at least not the one with NIL when post players like Bacot were getting paid NIL and sticking around longer. That's the difference IMO. These last two years you are getting great groundbound post players that stay 4 or 5 years and collect NIL because they can make more than in the NBA.

Per KenPom, only six of the top 100 players in offensive rating are freshmen. In the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, that number was 14. Last season, there were only two freshmen in the top 100. Playing time has remained roughly the same since 2020, though in 2019 nine freshmen ranked in KenPom’s top 100 players in percentage of minutes played — this season, there are two.

Stats is not everything... especially projecting prospects and putting inportance on how will they play in different level and how they translate and develop. Are we still using this as a serious talking point? His stats seemed fine, I bet many players had similar stats on very good college teams as what Anthony Davis had in 2012, not like he was putting Zach Edey numbers even, but it is clear why he was number 1 pick, not someone else.

I am just couch scouting, but I bet there are valid reason why Flagg has most hype, not his 4 teammates with same stats or whatever.

As said, Wembanyama was already drawing GOAT hype while he was worst player in entire Euroleague. Does it matter today that 2 years ago, Wembanyama was horrible player on worst Euroleague team? The obvious potential and tools were there, it was just a matter of time till he puts it together.