Cooper Flagg Is Already Making NBA Noise - So Why Are We Still Questioning Him?
Cooper Flagg wasn’t just another top prospect coming out of Duke - he was the prospect. A generational talent who dominated as a freshman in Durham, Flagg entered the NBA Draft with the kind of buzz reserved for only the rarest of players.
And when the Dallas Mavericks landed the No. 1 pick in the lottery? That wasn’t just luck - it was a franchise-altering moment.
Now, Flagg’s not just living up to the hype. He’s rewriting it.
But somehow, despite everything he’s already shown at the NBA level, there are still whispers of doubt. The latest came from TNT college basketball analyst Jamal Mashburn, who made waves this weekend by saying Flagg would be the sixth-best freshman in college basketball this season.
Let’s pause there.
This is a guy who’s currently lighting it up in the NBA - not just holding his own, but scoring 49 points against professional defenses. And we’re seriously entertaining the idea that he wouldn’t crack the top five among 18-year-olds still figuring out how to play zone defense?
Hoops writer Josh Eberley nailed it with a bit of tongue-in-cheek brilliance:
“Sure Cooper Flagg is scoring 49 in the NBA, but could he score 19 against this Kansas defense?”
That’s the point. Flagg’s already shown he can thrive against the best players in the world. He’s not a projection anymore - he’s proof.
Yes, the current freshman class is loaded. Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Caleb Wilson, Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, Nate Ament, Mikel Brown - the list is deep, and the talent is real. These kids are future lottery picks, no doubt.
But Flagg was 17 when he started his freshman year at Duke. He didn’t just survive - he dominated.
He was the best player in college basketball as a freshman, and he’s now proving himself in the pros. That’s not a knock on this year’s class - it’s just a reminder of how special Flagg is.
Even if you want to make the case that one or two of these guys might have challenged him in a hypothetical shared class, putting him sixth? That’s not analysis - that’s just disrespect.
Cooper Flagg has already shown he belongs among the elite. He’s not a prospect anymore. He’s a problem - for every team trying to stop him.
It’s time we stop pretending otherwise.