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[QUOTE=ralph_i_el;14988666]wtf does this even mean?[/QUOTE]
His account is a gimmick. He posts a lot of random, irrelevant nonsense for no apparent reason. He isn't as prolific now as he used to be. I put him on the filter a while ago because his posts are complete nonsense.
[QUOTE=Neal Romer;14988669]In terms of Flagg, you can see how much he's grown in terms of his decision making and his feel for what to do when. I still dont think he's the most natural player with the ball in his hands. He reminds me of Tatum in that he can technically do anything on the court, but theres something a bit mechanical about it. Not that it's ineffective, it just isnt the smoothest.[/QUOTE]
you sure you don't want to just slurp all over his nuts and say "Well, everything will be fine, Flagg is a leader". At this point, why not
[QUOTE=tontoz;14988671]His account is a gimmick. He posts a lot of random, irrelevant nonsense for no apparent reason. He isn't as prolific now as he used to be. I put him on the filter a while ago because his posts are complete nonsense.[/QUOTE]
since your afterlife account is complete nonsense, guess no amount of intelectual capacity is gonna make up for that, huh.
[QUOTE=Neal Romer;14988669]In terms of Flagg, you can see how much he's grown in terms of his decision making and his feel for what to do when. I still dont think he's the most natural player with the ball in his hands. He reminds me of Tatum in that he can technically do anything on the court, but theres something a bit mechanical about it. Not that it's ineffective, it just isnt the smoothest.[/QUOTE]
Tatum is actually a decent comp at the moment. Flagg’s peak I think would be kind of like a Tatum but meaner.
[QUOTE=ShawkFactory;14988799]Tatum is actually a decent comp at the moment. Flagg’s peak I think would be kind of like a Tatum but meaner.[/QUOTE]
Flagg has way more potential defensively
Cooper will play the same role as Franz Wagner, as a "sometimes-point forward" while running the break and attacking the basket.
He is much better than Wagner on the defensive end though, so his role might be more like say peak Jimmy Butler or young Kawhi.
NBA Draft season is getting closer. The content creators and publishers have begun listing comparisons for the draftees. Here's what they've listed for Cooper:
The Ringer: [SIZE=5]Scottie Pippen[/SIZE], [SIZE=4]Jayson Tatum[/SIZE], [SIZE=3]Andrei Kirilenko[/SIZE], [SIZE=2]Shawn Marion[/SIZE], [SIZE=1]Nicholas Batum[/SIZE]
NBADraft.net: Scottie Pippen
NBA Draft Room: Andrei Kirilenko+, Scottie Pippen, Jayson Tatum
Bleacher Report: Jalen Johnson, Kevin Garnett
George Karl (on Twitter): "Cooper Flagg’s comp is a more offensively skilled Scottie Pippen."
Rookie Me Central: Scottie Pippen, Andrei Kirilenko, Jayson Tatum
The Sporting News: Kawhi Leonard, Andrei Kirilenko, Scottie Pippen, Kevin Garnett
Yahoo Sports: Scottie Pippen, Tom Chambers, Andrei Kirilenko
Basketball Insiders: Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard
7 Scottie Pippen mentions. 5 Andrei Kirilenko mentions. 4 Jayson Tatum mentions. 2 Kawhi Leonard mentions. 2 Kevin Garnett mentions.
My thoughts on those comps...
BTW: Coop's talent and ability are incredibly precocious. Way more than any of these guys. So, we're kind of comparing him and his potential to these guys at an older age. Don't really see the point in making age-matched comps here because Flagg is so far ahead of all of them.
...
[B]Scottie Pippen:[/B] I like it. High IQ two-way forward who do everything well. Physically, I think Pip is a little more twitchy/explosive, but Coop is stronger and sturdier built. And like Coach Karl said, Flagg is more offensively skilled. In what way? IMO, shooting (in general), on-ball slashing, foul drawing, and post-up play.
[B]Andrei Kirilenko:[/B] Works as a low-to-mid outcome if Coop's on-ball ability doesn't translate. Andrei+ (meaning on-ball upside) is solid as a high-end projection but is a bit more theoretical/abstract/hard to conceptualize. What's his defense look like with a primary offensive role?
At that point, you're better off with an actual elite two-way wing, like a modified Pippen, Tatum, or Kawhi.
Cooper has outgrown the Kirilenko, Marion, Battier, Bobby Jones base comps. Shown way too much offensive upside for his potential to be limited to those guys.
[B]Jayson Tatum:[/B] Another great comp. Like the Pippen one. Two-way forwards who do everything well: score, pass, rebound, and defend.
Differences? Coop is more athletic in general and has more natural strength/a sturdier natural frame. Tatum has maxed out his size through weight lifting, but make no mistake: Flagg is the more naturally robust guy. His untrained baseline and maxed-out potential for size and strength surpass Jayson's.
Tatum is better/more dynamic as a ball handler and pull-up three-point shooter. Has craftier one-foot finishes at the rim/in the paint.
Outside of that? I don't think he does anything better. Flagg's superior athleticism and longer strides give him Giannis-lite potential in transition. Specifically, his two-footed jumping makes him a better aerial finisher, post-up threat, and rebounder on both ends. Superior natural physicality gives Coop more potential for foul drawing, I'd also say.
[B]Kawhi Leonard:[/B] Another solid comp. Can group it in with Pippen and Tatum (elite two-way forwards.) This one is definitely the highest-end of the group. Easily the best regarding scoring, shooting, overall offense, and probably tied or very close to Pippen for defense.
How does the comparison look with Coop? Biggest physical differences: Flagg taller, much longer strides, way more of a vertical athlete. Gets off the ground quicker and higher. Covers ground faster due to those longer legs. It's like Duncan (short legs) vs. Garnett (long legs.)
Kawhi shorter, stockier, relatively shorter legs/lower center of gravity, can't jump like Flagg. Kawhi probably a little longer and his relative span gives him greater reach lower down. Makes for a lower, more secure dribble and more defensive disruption when opponents are dribbling the ball.
Skill-wise, the physical differences make Coop more of a vertical presence on both ends. Shot-blocking/paint & rim protection, aerial finishing (oops, rolls, cuts, transition, lobs, etc), and rebounding. More of a transition threat due to long strides and aerial game.
Kawhi's ball handling and shooting are super elite. Coop has shown potential here but Leonard is about as good as it gets for shot-making forwards. It's certainly possible Flagg could develop a similar iso/mid-range/three-point game. Unlikely, but you can't rule it out due to how good Coop is at his age.
Leonard is better at defending on-ball/at the point of attack and getting around screens. Both great defending the post. Coop better defending off-ball.
Passing/playmaking is definitely an area where Coop has the advantage. Kawhi has become a better passer but it happened after his 2015-16 to 2016-17 peak. Flagg has legit point forward potential. Comparable to Pippen, Drexler, Butler, and LeBron, IMO.
[B]Kevin Garnett:[/B] I get the comp from a general standpoint: an elite two-way impact with more coming from passing and defense as opposed to scoring. But KG was a legit PF/C, standing 6'11.25" barefoot with an estimated 7'5" wingspan.
You're better off comparing Coop to Pippen. He's got that same defense and passing-leveraged two-way impact but in a truly comparable forward body. Flagg = PF/SF + some small-ball C. Sort of like Dray or Bo Outlaw once he fills out. KG = PF/C. More like AD, Giannis, JJJ, or Mobley.
Also, Garnett doesn't pressure the rim/get downhill quite like Coop.
Duke's Cooper Flagg named AP men's basketball Player of the Year
[url]https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/44533434/duke-cooper-flagg-named-ap-men-basketball-player-year[/url]
[QUOTE]The 6-foot-9, 205-pound forward from Newport, Maine, won a two-man race with Auburn star Johni Broome. Both players were unanimous first-team AP All-Americans with teams at the Final Four, and they were the only two to receive player-of-the-year votes, with Flagg getting 42 of the 61.
Flagg joins Duke's Zion Williamson (2019), Kentucky's Anthony Davis (2012) and Texas star Kevin Durant (2007) as freshman winners. Each went either No. 1 or No. 2 in the NBA draft a few months later. Flagg is the eighth Duke player to win the award, the most of any program.[/QUOTE]
That was a BS call on Flagg right there. Refs are trash
[QUOTE=imdaman99;14990384]That was a BS call on Flagg right there. Refs are trash[/QUOTE]
Very bad call but Duke didn’t execute at the end. Simply being able to inbound against the press would have won them the game.
Stop copying my threads!!!!
Not an ideal play call for a guy who's calling card hasnt exactly been iso execution in the clutch this season.
His size, athleticism, motor, they allow him to do a lot of things on the court and make an impact. But as a natural iso shot maker, hes not the guy you want in the clutch. That's not his game right now.
Continues to feel very Tatumesque to me. Not saying it's a bad thing. Just probably not a 'generational' thing at the NBA level.
[QUOTE=Neal Romer;14990389]Not an ideal play call for a guy who's calling card hasnt exactly been iso execution in the clutch this season.
His size, athleticism, motor, they allow him to do a lot of things on the court and make an impact. But as a natural iso shot maker, hes not the guy you want in the clutch. That's not his game right now.
Continues to feel very Tatumesque to me. Not saying it's a bad thing. Just probably not a 'generational' thing at the NBA level.[/QUOTE]
You’re not wrong. Watching this game he was very obviously by far the best player in the court and didn’t see the box until just now..he really carried them.
Is he going to be one of the best players of all time? Odds are, no. But he’s elite at everything but the ISO game already, as someone that should be a senior in high school. Who knows what the upside is but he has the highest floor of any prospect in many years.
I think it’s an absolute lock that he’ll be at least a very very good NBA player.