Cooper Flagg entered the NBA with some of the highest expectations ever levied on a first overall pick. Thankfully, the 19-year-old has been playing the best basketball of his young career as of late. Despite a slow start, he has now earned the respect of supporters and doubters alike. However, he hasn’t convinced everyone of his greatness yet.
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It isn’t often that a young player becomes a household name far before they enter the NBA. Flagg was an exception in that regard. The dynamic forward began to make waves during his high school and AAU career. His stellar play led to him becoming the top-rated prospect of his class and consequently, he became one of the few collegiate players ever to make the Team USA Select Team.
He performance against the 2024 Team USA Olympics roster further proved that he was the real deal. He transferred that success to Duke, where he led the Blue Devils to the Final Four. Flagg’s performance led him to win nearly every award possible. ACC and AP Player of the Year, the Naismith Award, along with countless others.
Everywhere Flagg went, he dominated. It didn’t feel premature for people to label him as a generational athlete. Of course, that title has been thrown around quite loosely as of late. However, Flagg’s performances show that those predictions weren’t just wishful thinking.
Recently, Flagg scored a career-high 49 points against the Charlotte Hornets, marking the most points scored in a single game by a teenager. He followed up that performance with 34 points against the Houston Rockets.
Interestingly, the Mavs star would’ve been in the 2026 draft class if he hadn’t fast-tracked. Former NBA star Jamal Mashburn believes the 20 year old made the right decision because his talent pales in comparison to the prospects from 2026.
“If I was to put [Cooper Flagg] on that list [of current Freshmen], he would be 6th,” Mashburn said on TNT Sports’ recent broadcast of NCAA basketball.
“If I was to put [Cooper Flagg] on that list [of current Freshman], he would be 6th.” @jamalmashburn breaks down why this year’s top Freshman stand out to him ️ pic.twitter.com/qGkknRPSgp
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) January 31, 2026
Yes, that isn’t a typo, Mashburn doesn’t even have Flagg among the top-five prospects. He went on to list Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybansta, Cam Boozer, Koa Peat and Caleb Wilson ahead of Flagg.
“Those guys would still be at the top of the list. I think Cooper Flagg still has holes in his game,” Mashburn declared.
By no means is Flagg a perfect player. He certainly has flaws, which can be attributed to his lack of experience. However, scoring 49 points in an NBA game is a serious feat for a player who supposedly has ‘holes in his game.’
It can be argued that Mashburn could be giving in to recency bias. Although Peterson and Dybansbias have been impressive, none of their achievements thus far compare to a near 50-point game in the NBA.
