Cooper Flagg Compares Himself To Kawhi Leonard, Selects 'Big 3' Of NBA Players He Likes To Watch

Cooper Flagg has been compared to some of the greats of the game in the lead-up to the 2025 NBA Draft, where he is set to be selected with the first pick by the Dallas Mavericks. Flagg himself was finally asked for his NBA player comparison recently, and he went with Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.  

"I'd like to think that I could play like Kawhi," Flagg said. "Just such a good two-way talent. I don't know if I actually do or not, but I think my friends would say someone like that as well."

Time will tell if Flagg can become a force on both ends of the court like Leonard was in his prime. The 18-year-old certainly has the tools to be a two-way star. Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game in 2024-25 as a freshman for Duke and was the consensus National Player of the Year.

Flagg is way better now than Leonard was when he was entering the NBA in 2011. He was just the 15th pick but managed to improve tremendously over the years. Leonard now has two titles, two Finals MVPs, and two DPOYs on his resume. He could have accomplished a lot more, too, if not for all the injuries.

As for this comparison, Flagg isn't the only one with that thought. A Western Conference GM revealed that their scouts compared the teenager to Leonard in his prime.

"The best comp I've heard from our scouts is prime Kawhi Leonard. Now, that's not perfect because they are very different players at the same age, but it's the one I like in terms of their style of play, two-way versatility, passing, and the fact that they can both guard point guards, wings, and big men."

"Kawhi's defense was way ahead of his offense, and he has a lot of the same manufactured qualities [as Flagg] to his handle and shooting... But I think about his unwavering confidence and relentless work ethic combined with his physicality, IQ, and physical tools. That's what helped him become an MVP candidate and the best player on a championship team."

The Mavericks would certainly be hoping that Flagg turns into an MVP candidate and leads them to a championship at some point. He's certainly the most likely to do that from his draft class.

While many are high on Flagg, with one GM even comparing him to Scottie Pippen, one NBA analyst isn't completely sold. Former ESPN writer Chuck Klosterman thinks he'll have a career like Detlef Schrempf. Schrempf was by no means a terrible player, having won SMOY twice, but it would be disappointing if Flagg ends up having a career like his. 

Cooper Flagg Names Three NBA Players He Likes To Watch

Considering Flagg thinks his game resembles Leonard's the most, it shouldn't be too surprising to find out that the Clippers star is part of his personal "Big 3" of NBA players to watch.

"I like Kawhi's game," Flagg said. "The two-way ability that he has and what he's able to do. [Jayson] Tatum, I like. [Kevin Durant], I like to watch. Those are some of the guys I like to watch and take little small things and footwork things, and stuff like that.

"I wouldn't really say I model after anybody," Flagg continued. "Those are some of the guys I watched some film on. Mostly offensively of like different footwork and shots, and creation stuff that I've seen."

Kevin Durant is certainly someone who every young player should watch closely. Durant is arguably the most complete scorer in NBA history, and if Flagg can be anywhere near as good as him, the Mavericks would be over the moon.