Paul Pierce had high praise for Duke sensation Cooper Flagg, who, he pointed out, is in the midst of one of the most complete seasons of college basketball in recent memory. The Celtics legend shared his belief that the Blue Devils could be the team to cut down the nets if their teen star can fully recover from his ankle injury, but they weren’t Pierce’s final pick to win March Madness.
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Pierce lauded Flagg for his dominant freshman season, as the 18-year-old is on pace to win ACC Freshman of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, and possibly National Player of the Year. However, with his nagging ankle injury still looking like a real concern, Pierce initially named Florida the team he would bet on.
The Hall of Fame forward quickly changed his stance, though, and sided with two-seed St. John’s instead. Once Pierce found out Florida and St. John’s were in the same bracket, he knew the potential matchup would be one for the ages. “Imma go St. John’s. Imma rock with Pitino,” Pierce said as his final answer.
Interestingly, many fans compared Flagg to Pierce since the latter was also on a wheelchair during Game 1 of the 2008 NBA finals. Pierce sprained his MCL after awkwardly falling on Kendrick Perkins’ leg. However, he returned two minutes later much to the delight of the Boston crowd.
The difference here is those were the NBA Finals and Pierce played in all the 6 games against the Lakers, carrying that sprain. So while Flagg did give a bit of ‘Paul Pierce vibes’ by finishing Game 1 of March Madness, he could take inspiration from him to play through the ankle pain.
While Pierce isn’t as confident in Duke’s title chances as he once was, he still believes Flagg should be doing everything he can to get back to full strength. Flagg was able to play in the Blue Devils’ blowout victory over Mount St. Mary’s in the first round but only needed to play 22 minutes.
The star big man dropped a serviceable 14 points and seven rebounds, but as the competition heats up, Duke will need more from him. Before it was known whether or not Flagg would play, Pierce shared that he would try to make sure the freshman phenom is ready for the Sweet 16—if the Blue Devils can get there.
Flagg aims to help the Blue Devils become champions after 10 years
The Blue Devils were favored to win the first game in the Round of 64 by more than 30 points. Though Flagg was expected to miss it, he felt good enough to suit up. His ankle injury looked devastating, but the extra rest he got during the ACC tournament may have been enough to get him through the Madness.
Flagg has a chance to solidify his freshman season as one of the best in NCAA history if Duke is able to pull out the National Championship. As a top seed, the Blue Devils were always expected to be in the running for a title, but Flagg’s unfortunate ankle injury put a temporary snag in those plans.
Flagg’s participation in the first round is a good sign for Duke, who will only see tougher competition from here on out. If Flagg is able to tough out his ailment, the Blue Devils could become National Champions for the first time since 2015.
