Duke freshman Cooper Flagg came to the Blue Devils as the No.1 recruit in the country, and he’s lived up to the hype so far in leading his team to a 9-2 record and the fifth spot in the latest AP poll. Jeff Teague spoke about Flagg on Club 520 podcast, where he compared the freshman to a former NBA All-Star.
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Discussing the six-foot-nine freshman’s strengths on the court, Teague said, “Cooper Flagg is like Andrei Kirilenko.” He added that like the former Jazz All-Star, Flagg is a “really good defender” who can “rebound, block shots, run the floor, and dunk.”
Teague meant the comparison as a compliment, as he said that Flagg gave him “AK-47 vibes for real.” However, Teague might have also said it to put a ceiling on Flagg’s potential, indicating he would might not be a superstar, just like Kirilenko.
“AK-47 was an All-Star, he could do a lot of things on the basketball court. He was a utility guy who could do pretty much everything.”
Teague sees Flagg as having a role similar to Kirilenko’s in the NBA.
This isn’t the first time Teague has made an NBA comparison for the Duke freshman. A few weeks ago, the 2021 NBA Champion was under heavy fire for comparing Flagg to Josh Smith.
Flagg, who will turn 18 on December 21, has been a frequent topic of conversation in the NBA community. The Utah Jazz and the Washington Wizards appear to have the inside track to his services thanks to their dreadful spot in the standings.
However, Teague and his co-hosts agreed that if incoming freshman AJ Dybantsa, who recently chose BYU over a list of potential suitors that included Alabama, Kansas, and North Carolina, was available in the 2025 draft, they would choose him over Flagg if they were in charge of a rebuilding team.
Despite what Jeff Teague and his co-hosts feel, Flagg’s position as the #1 Draft Pick in 2025 is all but certain.
Is Flagg the most exciting NBA prospect currently?
Many expect Flagg to make an immediate impact. One anonymous executive recently compared the phenom to Anthony Davis and Kevin Garnett, saying he would immediately become one of the top two-way players in the NBA.
Flagg impressed LeBron James when he played in a scrimmage against Team USA as a warmup during the training camp before the Paris Olympics this summer. James said that the youngster was “going to be a big-time player.”
However, Gilbert Arenas isn’t as high on Flagg, saying recently on his podcast Gil’s Arena that he wouldn’t take Flagg as his number one pick. Arenas brought up Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper as a guy that he might prefer because he believes that Harper is superior to Flagg as an initiator on offense. Harper’s teammate, fellow freshman Ace Bailey, is also expected to be a top pick.
If he’s able to lead Duke to March Madness glory though, it would only strengthen Flagg’s case as being the most anticipated prospect since Victor Wembanyama, who came into the NBA last year.
