NBA Analyst On Cooper Flagg: “I Think He’s Going To Have A Career Like Detlef Schrempf”

A former ESPN writer predicts Cooper Flagg's career will be like that of Detlef Schrempf.

4 Min Read

Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Former Duke star Cooper Flagg is the most hyped American prospect to enter the NBA in quite some time, but not everyone is sold on him becoming a force in the league. On the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, former ESPN writer Chuck Klosterman predicted Flagg’s career would look like that of Detlef Schrempf.

“I think he’s going to have a career like Detlef Schrempf,” Klosterman said. “… I think he’s going to be a very good player for a lot of years. Schrempf I think made All-NBA once. I think he was Third Team All-NBA once. A few All-Star games… I don’t see him [Flagg] as a dominating player.

“I think that he will be the second-best player on a good team or the third-best player on a great team,” Klosterman continued. “I like him as a player, but nothing I saw to me, not that I am an expert or anything, but made me think he’s going to be unstoppable. I think he’s just going to be very good.”

This might be the first time anyone has compared Flagg to Schrempf. Considering the insane hype, this would be a disappointing outcome. That’s not to say Schrempf didn’t have a good career. He averaged 13.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in his 16 seasons in the NBA.

Schrempf made three All-Star teams to go with one All-NBA team and won Sixth Man of the Year twice. He was probably the third-best player for that Seattle SuperSonics team that made the NBA Finals in 1996 behind Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. Not many are fortunate to have the kind of career he had.

That said, you’d think Flagg would be one of those who’d have a better career than Schrempf. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game in 2024-25 for the Blue Devils and was the consensus National Player of the Year.

Flagg is also just the fourth freshman ever to win the Wooden Award. He was so good that Mike Krzyzewski called him Duke’s best-ever freshman.

Flagg might not be a generational talent, but you’d be disappointed if he doesn’t turn out to be a perennial All-Star. An anonymous NBA GM revealed that their scouts compared him to prime Kawhi Leonard, an indication of how highly some around the league view him.

Another GM, meanwhile, compared Flagg to Scottie Pippen. He reckons the 18-year-old can turn out to be an excellent second option, as Pippen was to Michael Jordan

The Dallas Mavericks are set to land Flagg at the NBA Draft later this month, after stunningly winning the Draft Lottery. They’d be thrilled if he’s anywhere near as good as Leonard and Pippen. 

Quite interestingly, it was the Mavericks who selected Schrempf with the eighth pick in the 1985 NBA Draft. He didn’t make much of an impact for them, though, and it was only after a trade to the Indiana Pacers in 1989 that the NBA saw the best of him.

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

TAGGED:
Share This Article
Follow:
Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *