ESPN’s Peter Rosenberg predicts Caitlin Clark-level hype for Cooper Flagg

“We’re all adults, we can have a real-life conversation,” Rosenberg said. “Last time I checked, we still live in America, right? Cooper Flagg is a white guy, maybe the best white American prospect since Larry Bird, right? Let’s not act as if we don’t live in America, we’re not seeing what’s happening with Caitlin Clark in the WNBA. Cooper Flagg is going to be an instant impact player in the NBA. I think Danny [Green] will agree. He is ready to go. That kid could play right now.

“If he’s nearly as good as people expect, I think when it comes to intrigue, actual intrigue that people are talking about day-to-day, no one’s going to be more intriguing and get more eyeballs than what Cooper Flagg’s doing in Dallas.”

Clark has wasted no time ascending to become one of the best players in the WNBA. She won the 2024 Rookie of the Year Award and is among the frontrunners to win MVP this season. Like they were for Clark, expectations are high for Flagg.

Flagg won the Wooden Award, along with being a Consensus All-American, ACC Player of the Year, and making the All-NCAA Tournament team in his lone season with the Blue Devils. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 37 games. Flagg shot just over 48% from the field and 38.5% from three.

Danny Green offers different viewpoint on Peter Rosenberg’s Cooper Flagg, Caitlin Clark comparison

Former NBA guard Danny Green agrees with Rosenberg that Flagg has unlimited potential. He’s not ready, however, to compare him to Clark.

“That’s a big comparison. Like, Caitlin Clark is unbelievable. She is something different. I think Cooper Flagg is a very good player. He will make an impact. I don’t know about right away. All rookies need a little bit of time,” Green said. “I think he’s in a perfect place to learn and grow. Like the Spurs as intriguing, but I’m with Peter here. I like Dallas, and for a different reason. Dallas is intriguing to me because, what are you going to do with all those bigs? You have [Daniel] Gafford, you have [Dereck] Lively, you have AD, you have PJ Washington. Now you have Cooper Flagg. You need a point guard, you need some wings, you need some guard depth.

“So, I’m looking at, what are they going to do? Who are they going to move? What’s going to happen in free agency? So, I’m looking at them in that aspect of intriguing, because they have to a lot of makeup, and you have Cooper Flagg could be another guy that could be in that frontcourt. So, they’re going to be very deep in the frontcourt, and very bottom — like said, I guess, they’re very top-heavy in that sense. I don’t know what they’re going to do in the wing standpoint. So, I’m intrigued on what they’re going to do this offseason to make their wing depth better. But yes, Cooper Flagg is a talent, but the Caitlin Clark [comparison], I don’t know, man, that’s a tough one.”