Cooper Flagg was just named the Naismith Boys High School Basketball Player of the Year. He has widely been known as the best high school prospect since LeBron James and that is saying something. Now, with Chipotle Nationals (formally GEICO Nationals) on deck, it is time to dive into Flagg a bit more, including Cooper Flagg player comparisons.
Cooper Flagg Has NBA Superstar Written All Over Him
Cooper Flagg at Montverde
Montverde Academy is 30-0 and has one of the best rosters in the history of high school basketball. All five starters will be playing power conference basketball at big-time programs and will be expected to make an immediate impact. Of course, playing with talent makes everyone’s lives easier. However, Flagg still stands out among the rest.
Cooper Flagg averages 16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game. He does a little bit of everything on the court and mainly utilizes his high motor to win games. It is rare that the number one player in the sport wants to get in a stance and defend the other team’s best player in every possession. That extends to both guards and bigs. Flagg’s lateral agility and length give him the ability to stay in front of guards and make life tough for bigs. At 6’9 that is a special trait to have.
Diving into the offense a bit more, Flagg’s shooting splits are 55/35/78. He is not an elite shooter by any means but you also cannot leave him open. The other part of that is his increased confidence in his jump shot. Flagg only shot 48 threes last year compared to 88 threes this year already. The more Flagg shoots the three, the more impossible he is to guard. He is too big to be defended by a guard and way too athletic to be guarded by a big. When you have to respect his jumper, he now has a much easier chance to blow by defenders.
Cooper Flagg Comparisons
The NBA star comparisons have been flying around lately. Right before Flagg’s commitment to Duke, he was noted to be a mix of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Franz Wagner. So, to sum it up, he is the mix of 3 NBA superstars and a promising young wing.
I would like to suggest a different comparison. One of the better college seasons of recent memory was from Anthony Davis and it seems like Flagg is on that same trajectory. Part of that is due to the insane Duke recruiting class but still, Flagg is more like Davis than these star wings he was compared to.
Davis made his name for his energy level and his game-changing abilities without eye-popping stats. Davis averaged 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.7 blocks per game at Kentucky, shooting 65% from the field. In terms of advanced stats, Davis earned a WinShares number of 9.9 (11th all-time) and a box plus-minus of 17.2 (2nd to Zion Williamson in NCAA history). Those stats highlight how large of an impact Davis had on a game while only scoring 14.2 points. Flagg is the same kind of player.
When you tune into Duke games next year, you will not see Flagg isolated on a wing going one-on-one like Tatum. You will not see him jab-stepping or creating space for a step-back three like George. You will see him making multiple hustle plays, altering shots at the rim, and creating highlight dunks.
Flagg Future
Flagg has the luxury of playing with five other top 100 recruits, including Khaman Maluach, the number three-ranked player in the class. Add to that multiple players returning from this year’s Duke team and you could be talking about one of the greatest college teams ever. Flagg will be getting plenty of headlines, much like those Zion Duke teams.
Flagg’s Duke tenure will be short-lived as he will be the number one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. There is also plenty of room for growth from Flagg which means all of these projections are likely to change. It is definitely semantics to argue if Flagg will be more like Davis, Tatum, or Giannis. However, it is clear, Flagg has superstar written all over him.
