Which NBA players could be compared to Cooper Flagg? Hill, Kirilenko, Wagner, Gordon

Cooper Flagg is a player who is difficult to compare, but some NBA executives have dared to undertake this exercise. Some names that emerged: Andrei Kirilenko, Jayson Tatum, Franz Wagner, Aaron Gordon, and Grant Hill. Those comparisons establish a wide range of outcomes, but also the certainty that the Duke prospect offers as a likely top-tier starter.

"I like the comparison with Grant Hill," said a scout from the Eastern Conference about the Pistons' 1994 3rd overall pick. "Grant, I don't think was a great shooter to start. He could play downhill, he could finish well. I like his physique. Cooper is maybe a bit bigger. [Hill] had opportunities to have an offensive impact in situations that didn't require creating space/making shots. Grant, maybe a better raw athlete."

Kirilenko, selected in the first round in 1999, a one-time All-Star (2004), and three-time All-Defensive Team selection (2004-06) with the Utah Jazz, was by far the most cited name by our panel due to Flagg's defensive impact as a rebounder, shot-blocker, and intimidator. Some scouts like that comparison, while others find it weak.

A scout from the Western Conference said that the retired Andre Iguodala, a first-round pick for the 76ers in 2004, is a competitor for Duke's first-year player, although he was more of a shooting guard. "Flagg is a big small forward, primarily defense, better playmaker than scorer but can do both."

Comparisons with current players

The two most popular names among current NBA players were Franz Wagner, in the midst of a strong season with the Orlando Magic, and Aaron Gordon, who has become one of the league's best role players with the Denver Nuggets. Wagner has managed to be effective as a scorer without having an elite 3-point shot (he was shooting 32% from long range before tearing his oblique on December 7). Gordon arrived in Denver (via a trade with the Magic in March 2021) with aspirations of being a scoring small forward but has settled in as a versatile power forward contributing in nearly all areas.

"Flagg is really a small forward more than a power forward. Some players he could be compared to in that position, like Gordon or Wagner, don't have the same physical characteristics," said a general manager. "Gordon as a point guard is good... but it seems there's a higher ceiling he could reach offensively."

Another scout from the Eastern Conference said he likes the competition with Wagner, but Flagg's development could depend on the situation. "He is such a unique guy, you basically just want to say, like a smaller Giannis [Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks], but he's not... and I don't know if he'll reach that level of usage in the NBA because there are guys who are much better scorers."

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