Dallas Mavericks rookie and former Duke basketball superstar Cooper Flagg has received praise from several NBA greats, but he might've just gotten his highest approval yet. Kevin Durant, potentially the greatest scorer in NBA history, recently told reporters that he thinks Flagg will be an all-time great. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft has received some criticism with some efficiency and turnover struggles to begin his professional career, but Durant had nothing but incredible things to say about the rookie. The Mavericks faced off against the Houston Rockets, Durant's current team, on November 3rd. So, Durant got to see firsthand just how special Flagg is as a prospect.
Kevin Durant says Cooper Flagg will be "one of the best of all time."
The Rockets defeated the Mavericks 122-110 on November 3rd in Houston, but Flagg put together one of his most efficient outings in a Mavs uniform. In 34 minutes of action, the rookie went for 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists on 5-of-10 (50%) shooting from the floor and 2-of-5 (40%) shooting from three.
After the contest, Durant told DallasHoopsJournal.com how special he thinks Flagg will be.
“I think that he’s going to be a hell of a player,” Durant said. “I think that he’s going to be such a nightmare… that… he’ll be considered one of the best of all time.”
High praise from the future Hall of Famer.
Flagg has drawn some frustration from fans with inefficiency struggles and turnover woes, but many forget that the rookie was thrown into a totally different position upon entering the NBA. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has elected to regularly play Flagg at the point guard spot, which he never consistently played in college. Durant also touched on the difficulty of changing positions on the floor.
“I think that you’re going from in college playing four and five to playing point guard, two guard,” Durant said. “That’s going to be an adjustment period for everybody.”
Flagg recently touched on adjusting to the league, but many fans seem to be overreacting. Despite his struggles, the 18-year-old hasn't been "bad" by any means. On the season, Flagg is averaging 13.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 39.8% shooting from the field and 33.3% shooting from three. Sure, some rookies have gotten out to hotter starts. But no one is giving Flagg any credit for completely changing positions before having any game action at the NBA level.
Any generational prospect is going to face intense pressure upon entering the NBA. Now, with the approval from one of the greatest scorers in the history of basketball, Flagg will assuredly use that to boost his confidence.