Cooper Flagg has been built up as one of the most exciting NBA prospects coming out of college. The Dallas Mavericks have let Luka Doncic go, and still have a promising future since Flagg represents the hope for the franchise.
Looking at his potential, ESPN ranked him 52nd on the Top 100 list for the upcoming season. Former Mavericks players Theo Pinson, Raymond Felton, and Charlie Villanueva thought that it was unfair to the active players that ESPN ranked Flagg above many others.
Talking about the rankings on their podcast, To The Baha, the former NBA players pointed out the many flaws with Flagg’s ranking and the list overall. Here’s how the conversation went:
Theo Pinson: So this is what it comes down to: they knew this list was stupid. They knew it would cause controversy. They also knew they couldn’t put names on it, cause their credibility would get shot down. This is absolutely blasphemous. This is ridiculous.
Host: Why is Cooper even ranked 52 when he…
Raymond Felton: Hasn’t made a bucket yet!
Charlie Villanueva: He hasn’t played his first game yet. What are we talking about, man?
Pinson: Nasty. This is nasty. Bro, DeMar DeRozan is so disrespected.
Villanueva: He talked about it, too. Why?
Pinson: It’s insane, bro!
Villanueva: He’s one of the best mid-range players we’ve ever seen.
Pinson: I don’t care, Cooper’s not in front of any of those guys that you’ve just named. Until I see it, he’s not in front. Granted, people, once again, all my Dallas fans, I think Cooper’s gonna be really good. But he’s not in front of those guys!
Pinson is referring to Flagg being ranked ahead of DeMar DeRozan, Paul George, Zach LaVine, and LaMelo Ball.
The six-feet-nine-inches-tall forward from Duke has received so much hype primarily due to the breadth of his skills. Most exciting prospects are unidimensionally excellent, but Flagg is elite in scoring, rebounding, making defensive plays, steals, and blocks.
His stats as a freshman in college stood out after he shot 38.5% from the three-point line and 48% from the field overall. He led Duke’s scoring average with 18.9 points per game, along with 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists. But he also averaged 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks every game, showcasing his diverse involvement and impact on the game.
Flagg’s versatility extends to positional play as well, as at Duke, he was listed as a guard/forward. Even in the league, he can be expected to play the wing in some formations. Although there are doubts about his consistency in shooting from a distance. Critics have observed that Flagg still needs to develop an elite jumpshot, something that’s not there in his arsenal currently.
The problem with prospects begins once they start playing in the league. And a lot of defensive abilities don’t directly translate to the professional level. Flagg will need to adapt to the new environment, and that could take some time.
Thus, the former Mavericks players are making the argument that until he’s stepped between the white lines, he should not be placed above other players, who have time and again proved themselves at the biggest stage.
