NBA Scout Reveals Cooper Flagg's One Weakness

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Spencer Ostrow | Last updated Feb 22, 2025 9:03 AM ET

Duke Blue Devils star freshman Cooper Flagg has taken college basketball by storm this season. Heading into Duke's matchup against the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday, Flagg averaged 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He also has the Blue Devils ranked No. 3 in the nation, having just one ACC loss on the year.

On Saturday morning, Jeremy Woo published a story for ESPN highlighting the top prospects for June's NBA draft. For each player, Woo provided insight from an anonymous NBA scout.

Flagg was his No. 1 player, but the scout his one weakness is "the late-clock stuff."

"He'll get to a point where he can create for himself comfortably," the NBA scout wrote. "He'll be good enough to be the best player in a playoff series at his peak. But the late-clock stuff isn't necessarily his gift."

Woo also spoke about the 6-foot-9 forward's offensive ceiling, as he as already "obliterated expectations" on that side of the court.

"Flagg has obliterated expectations with his offensive impact, emerging as the best player in college basketball and showing he can take over games at this level both scoring and playmaking for teammates," Woo wrote. "The two biggest areas for improvement, which will dictate what level of stardom he reaches, are his ballhandling and perimeter shooting. Will he be able to score effectively using multiple dribbles? How much of a threat will he become outside the arc (currently he's shooting 36% from 3)?"

Woo then pointed to two of Duke’s losses to Kentucky and Kansas this season, attributing the outcomes to Flagg’s struggles to "create for himself late."

"He's likely going to be drafted No. 1 regardless, but the long-term picture will be defined by Flagg's growth in those areas," Woo added. "While it's nitpicky, considering how good he has been this season, his occasional struggles to create for himself late in games came to the fore in early-season losses to Kentucky and Kansas."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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