Cooper Flagg

Ayt · Post #1721 » by **Ayt** » Sun Mar 23, 2025 12:35 am

LakerLegend wrote:He's a 3 at the NBA level right?

What does that even mean?

Post #1722 » by **NO-KG-AI** » Sun Mar 23, 2025 12:36 am

LakerLegend wrote:He's a 3 at the NBA level right?

We basically have lead guards, centers, and then everyone else lol. He’s the other thing.

JustBuzzin · Post #1723 » by **JustBuzzin** » Sun Mar 23, 2025 1:03 am

NO-KG-AI wrote:
LakerLegend wrote:He's a 3 at the NBA level right?

We basically have lead guards, centers, and then everyone else lol. He’s the other thing.

Flagg is a point forward.

He will basically have the same role as LeBron. Put the ball in his hands and he will make something happen.

tmorgan · Post #1724 » by **tmorgan** » Sun Mar 23, 2025 1:13 am

Yeah, I don’t think Flagg has the outlier athleticism to take the NBA’s increased spacing and turn into a huge scorer, but it’s going to make his rapidly improving facilitating a really big weapon. He might turn into a deluxe Deni Avdija, which sounds like a slight until you understand how much I love that guy. If he gets into the right situation and is really given the keys, you could see a near triple-double season line with around 20 ppg somewhere down the line. That would be pretty cool.

Post #1725 » by **NO-KG-AI** » Sun Mar 23, 2025 2:04 am

It’s so easy to score 25 now, we keep capping some of these guys scoring way too low, because I think part of our brain thinks 20 is still significant.

Post #1726 » by **og15** » Sun Mar 23, 2025 3:49 am

NO-KG-AI wrote:It’s so easy to score 25 now, we keep capping some of these guys scoring way too low, because I think part of our brain thinks 20 is still significant.

There's a huge court where everyone isn't playing inside 17 feet most of the game, lots of shooting and pace that is like the NBA before things allowed down. We need to adjust our brains.

Post #1727 » by **NO-KG-AI** » Sun Mar 23, 2025 3:56 am

og15 wrote:
NO-KG-AI wrote:It’s so easy to score 25 now, we keep capping some of these guys scoring way too low, because I think part of our brain thinks 20 is still significant.

There's a huge court where everyone isn't playing inside 17 feet most of the game, lots of shooting and pace that is like the NBA before things allowed down. We need to adjust our brains.

I just remember how many people thought guys like Zion and Wemby would be closer to 15-16 ppg as rookies. I don’t think they were underrating them, just still processing their skill sets in different circumstances.

ForeverRDjazz · Post #1728 » by **ForeverRDjazz** » Sun Mar 23, 2025 4:49 am

og15 wrote:The real team people should be worried about winning the lottery is the Spurs. They currently have a 6% chance, not high, but anything is possible. If the Spurs win the lottery and we have a decade + of Flagg + Wemby LOL. Sorry everyone.

IF that happens I'll be done watching NBA. Or if Mavs win it. :noway:

Post #1729 » by **Ice Man** » Sun Mar 23, 2025 11:38 am

Cooper's gonna be a plus player in his first NBA game, because his defense is THAT good and his offense will be at least acceptable. That's as far as I will make a prediction, but it's still a bold one in that very few guys (if any) have ever been a plus player in the NBA while being 18 years old.

VFX · Post #1730 » by **VFX** » Sun Mar 23, 2025 8:10 pm

This kid is insane.

Pantsman · Post #1731 » by **Pantsman** » Sun Mar 23, 2025 10:29 pm

He’s gonna end up in Dallas. The nba is gonna protect one of their biggest markets from themselves.

FrodoBaggins · Post #1732 » by **FrodoBaggins** » Mon Mar 24, 2025 2:06 am

He's looking strong and sturdy out there. Nice bully ball play.

Lalouie · Post #1733 » by **Lalouie** » Mon Mar 24, 2025 3:10 am

flagg is in that ubiquitous new balance commercial now

Karate Diop · Post #1734 » by **Karate Diop** » Mon Mar 24, 2025 4:03 am

Pantsman wrote:He’s gonna end up in Dallas. The nba is gonna protect one of their biggest markets from themselves.

I hope not... Nico would probably trade him to the Lakers for Austin Reaves in a few years...

DC_Melo · Post #1735 » by **DC_Melo** » Mon Mar 24, 2025 4:40 am

Ice Man wrote:Cooper's gonna be a plus player in his first NBA game, because his defense is THAT good and his offense will be at least acceptable. That's as far as I will make a prediction, but it's still a bold one in that very few guys (if any) have ever been a plus player in the NBA while being 18 years old.

Seems like a fair prediction. Just for fun I looked up some 18 years olds rookie seasons and there were a few that managed to make a positive impact, at least using BPM as a barometer:

LeBron- +1.7 BPM
Garnett- +1.0 BPM
Anthony Davis- +2.5 BPM
Tracy McGrady- +0.6 BPM

There might be more but that’s what I found in a quick search. Kobe just missed at -0.1 BPM. Nevertheless, it is indeed rare, and even when it happens, it seems to be with HOF level players and it’s a far cry from their career averages for net positive impact. If Flagg were to average a positive BPM as a rookie, it could be a great indicator for future career success.

For anyone wondering, Darko posted an impressive -10.4… It is really difficult to be THAT bad… and on a title winning team too!

Post #1736 » by **Ice Man** » Mon Mar 24, 2025 12:08 pm

DC_Melo wrote:For anyone wondering, Darko posted an impressive -10.4… It is really difficult to be THAT bad… and on a title winning team too!

Thanks for doing the work. I went to Stathead and searched for 18 year old rookies, but only 2 players showed up. I think that is because Stathead doesn't go by age when the season starts, but instead either by average age during the season, or age when the season ends.

So I screened instead on rookies who were either 18 or 19. Fourteen of them have had positive BPMs -

Kyrie 4.1
Luka 3.9
Drum 2.5
AD 2.5
LeMelo 1.8
LBJ 1.7
Tatum 1.2
Deng 1.2
KG 1.0
TMac 0.6
Thad Young 0.5
Derrick Lively (!) 0.5
Beal 0.2
Melo 0.1

Almost all of them became All Stars, with about half being HOFers.

(Note - While almost all these players are fairly recent, the stat goes back to the Seventies. But there weren't teenage players back in the day.)

Liam_Gallagher · Post #1737 » by **Liam_Gallagher** » Mon Mar 24, 2025 1:14 pm

Dude doesn't look THAT great out there. I see a lot of Wiggins hype ala 2014.

Dude could very easily turn into the next Matt Harpring or Wally Szerbiak. Stop with the Durant and KG comparisons please.

Post #1738 » by **Jamaaliver** » Mon Mar 24, 2025 1:21 pm

Ayt wrote:
LakerLegend wrote:He's a 3 at the NBA level right?

What does that even mean?

In the olden days, when guys played a specific position the entire game, the positions were assigned numbers for easy reference:

1 - Point Guard
2 - Shooting Guard
3 - Small Forward
4 - Power Forward
5 - Center

Post #1739 » by **Ice Man** » Mon Mar 24, 2025 1:29 pm

Freshman years of college, per 40 -

Wiggins 21/7/2, 1 steal 1 block
Harpring 15/8/3, 1 steal 0 blocks
Wally World 18/8/2, 1 steal 1 block
Durant 29/12/2, 2 steals 2 blocks
Flagg 25/10/6, 2 steals 2 blocks

Which one most resembles Flagg?

Post #1740 » by **tsherkin** » Mon Mar 24, 2025 1:30 pm

Ice Man wrote:Freshman years of college, per 40 -

Wiggins 21/7/2, 1 steal 1 block
Harpring 15/8/3, 1 steal 0 blocks
Wally World 18/8/2, 1 steal 1 block
Durant 29/12/2, 2 steals 2 blocks
Flagg 25/10/6, 2 steals 2 blocks

Which one most resembles Flagg?

I would say Flagg most resembles Flagg. 8-)