“He on What Paul George On”: Fans Torch Jamal Mashburn for Ridiculous Cooper Flagg Take

Cooper Flagg may not have had an All-Star-level rookie season like many expected him to have, but he’s still been the best rookie by far. Still, critics are on his back, and many are publicly beginning to fade on him. One of those analysts is Jamal Mashburn, who recently took some shots at Flagg while talking about the stars of college basketball right now. Safe to say, his claims weren’t popular by any means.

Mashburn said that if he were to rank Flagg against the 2026 freshman class, he’d rank the Dallas Mavericks forward sixth. He then went on to declare North Carolina’s Caleb Williams as the next big thing.

“Just from a skillset and also a level of where they can get to, I personally think Caleb Wilson is going to take a humongous jump at the pro level. I think he’s going to be a superstar,” Mashburn said on TNT Sports before making a wild statement. “Cooper Flagg has some holes in his game.”

Thereafter, Mashburn professed that Wilson’s game is more “suited for the pros,” which is why he will be more sought after by a team looking to win a championship.

On any other night, Mashburn may have been able to get away with this take. But just earlier this week, Flagg scored 49 points against the Charlotte Hornets. And let’s not forget he’s just 19 years old. So, he picked the worst possible time to argue against the talent’s future in the NBA. 

Unsurprisingly, fans went online and took turns roasting Mashburn. “This is so disrespectful – he on what Paul George on,” one wrote, taking a dig at Paul George for his recent 25-game ban in the process. 

“Cooper played in Dallas the other night and had 49 in an NBA game against the Hornets. Caleb Wilson played in Dallas the other night against SMU and scored 13 points. I hope Mashburn does not become the GM of an NBA team,” another added.

Others simply thought the former player was just trying to get some attention. “Jamal is just trying to get some clicks,” they claimed. “None of those guys are anywhere close to as good as Cooper. Mash is out of his mind,” another X user else piled on.

Maybe Wilson will end up being great in the NBA. But it’s insane to infer that his game is more suited for the pros than Flagg’s the night after Flagg drops 49 points. One is showing flashes in college; the other is already doing it at the pro level.

Mashburn later clarified that this argument might look better down the road. He could end up being right. But for now, we’ll bet on Flagg, who was touted as a generational talent. He hasn’t been as dominant right away as many expected, but he’s still been an excellent two-way forward, one who will eventually be among the best in the game.